


The Common Ground

by thatmitchsentho



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Slow Burn, hits M in some places, not too many
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 07:22:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 43,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7609000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatmitchsentho/pseuds/thatmitchsentho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beca finds herself leaning on Chloe and Aubrey for support during a rough time. The friendship between Aubrey and Beca unexpectedly changes and they begin to grow closer in a way that nobody had imagined, let alone the two of them. (Crosspost from ff.net; Sequel Fic entitled Bright Lights Big City is In Progress.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The brunette was withdrawn, even for her. She barely made eye contact with any of them during rehearsal. Chloe knew it was bad when she wouldn't even argue with Aubrey, even when the blonde had left the opening there. When Aubrey called practice off, Chloe rushed to grab Beca and pull her aside, even though she'd made a beeline for the door immediately.

"Bec," Chloe said, taking her by the wrist. "Hang on for a sec." Beca's shoulders slumped, but she stopped.

"What?" she asked. Chloe saw the dark circles under her already dark eyes. She looked tired.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem… off." Beca just looked at her and ran a hand through her hair absently. Chloe could see wheels turning in her brain. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it again. She shrugged.

"Fine," she said noncommittally. Chloe raised her eyebrows in concern.

"Well… okay. But I hope you know that if there is something wrong, you can talk to me," she said. Beca just tugged at the strap of her backpack.

"Yeah okay, whatever," she said. "Look, I gotta go." Chloe relinquished her arm and Beca slunk off toward her dorm.

"What was that about?" Aubrey asked, coming over.

"I don't know. She seems really down, but she said nothing was wrong," Chloe said. "She was lying, obviously. But I can't make her open up to me."

"You offered though, Chlo," Aubrey said. "And that's all you can do, sometimes." Chloe didn't look too pleased with that, but she didn't have a choice. She turned and helped Aubrey tidy up so they could go back to their dorm.

Chloe tried to call Beca three times during the next day, and each time the call went unanswered. So did the flood of texts she'd sent. She debated going to the other girls' dorm, such was her concern for the freshman.

"I've never seen you this worried before," Aubrey said.

"I've never seen Beca like this before," Chloe said. "I know everyone thinks she's this super-repressed, snarky, closed off bitch. But with me, she's not. And she's just completely shut down. So yeah, I'm worried about her, Bree." Aubrey looked at her carefully.

"I'll come with you," she said. "We'll check her dorm and the radio station." They walked quickly around campus, not able to find the brunette anywhere. They returned to Beca's dorm and knocked again.

"Oh." Kimmy Jin opened the door. "She's still not here."

"I figured," Chloe said. "It's just – I'm really worried about her. If you hear from her, please, can you tell her to call me or Aubrey?" Kimmy Jin just gave her a cool stare, but nodded her head a fraction. They went back to their room, where Aubrey pulled out some homework. Chloe didn't even try to study, she just sat on her bed and constantly checked her phone. Aubrey gave up on her study after ten minutes and dropped onto Chloe's bed. The redhead sank against her shoulder.

"I'm sure she'll turn up," Aubrey said. "I know she's important to you." Chloe knew what she meant. Everyone had it in their head that Chloe and Beca had a thing for each other, but it wasn't like that at all. Chloe thought Beca was interesting, because she wasn't like anyone she'd ever met. The two of them talked about everything under the sun – including the fact that despite everyone's assumptions, they were friends and nothing more.

"It's not like that, Bree," Chloe said, sighing. "I'm not in love with her, she's not in love with me. We're friends."

"Okay," Aubrey said. "I'm not surprised that you care about her this much. I mean, you always take good care of me." They sat there for the better part of the evening, Chloe still worrying about Beca. Aubrey thought about the brunette, because sure – Chloe made friends pretty easily, and her idea of personal boundaries was seriously invisible – but she was really invested in Beca. And someone Chloe cared about that much might be worth reconsidering. And worrying about. It wasn't that she had completely dismissed Beca, she just never thought that they had anything in common. Except that Chloe was their best friend.

It was after nine o'clock when they were roused from their quiet slump by a knock on their door. Chloe looked up at Aubrey. "You expecting anyone?" The blonde shook her head. Chloe got up and opened the door, revealing a clearly not-okay Beca. Her eye makeup was smudged and runny, doing nothing to conceal the red eyes, not that she was trying to. If at all possible, she looked more tired than yesterday.

"Jesus, Beca, get in here," Chloe said, pulling her into a hug. "What happened?"

"I hope your offer to talk is still valid," she mumbled, dropping her backpack on the floor. "Because I really can't do this anymore. I'm going crazy. I haven't slept in god knows how long."

"Of course," Chloe said. Aubrey began to move, to give them privacy.

"I'll go the library for a few hours," she said. Chloe led Beca to the bed, where she dropped heavily onto the mattress.

"It's okay," Beca said. "You can stay. Chloe trusts you, I guess, so I can too." Aubrey looked uncertain, but stayed at the head of the bed. She reached over and took a box of tissues from the desk and tossed it to Chloe.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked. "Is this about Jesse?"

"Nothing remotely like that," Beca said. "I – I don't talk about this, so you'll have to give me a sec." She took a deep breath and stared down at her hands, surveying the chipped black polish. They waited for a minute or two.

"It's my mom," Beca began. "I haven't told anybody here this. But my mom died. That's why I'm here in Barden. Because she got cancer and three months later, she was gone."

"Oh Beca," Chloe murmured, pulling the brunette in for another hug. Beca stayed leaned against Chloe's side.

"And you think you've dealt with that. Like, you go to the funeral, and you see a therapist, and the therapist tells you you're fine and it's normal to be upset and angry and fucking despondent and closed off. So you move to your dad's, enrol in college and try to keep on going. But in three days, it'll be a whole year since she's been gone, and I miss her like it was fucking yesterday, and all I want is for her to be alive," she ranted. "I just want to be able to call her and tell her that I actually kind of like college, and acapella, and we'll make a joke about whoever Taylor Swift is dating even though we both actually think she writes a catchy song, and during break I want to just catch a flight home to Portland where she'll be sitting in our house, on the couch that my dad fucking hated but we secretly loved because it was just big enough for the two of us to squish into. But she's gone and I can't, and everything just feels… really fucking wrong. And I feel like an idiot for letting it get to me this much, but it does. And I just need someone to understand how this…." She was crying again, and so was Chloe. Aubrey was also crying, freely, and Chloe met her eyes.

Neither of them had ever heard Beca speak about her mother, and obviously the reason why was becoming clear. Chloe hated that her friend was going through this and felt so alone. There was nothing she was going to be able to say that would even begin to console Beca. But Aubrey could. Because Aubrey knew exactly what Beca was feeling, Chloe saw it in the way Aubrey looked at the younger girl and bit her lip. She shuffled down and sat on the other side of Beca. She reached a hand out and placed it on Beca's knee. That Aubrey would even voluntarily comfort someone other than Chloe was a marvel in itself. That Beca didn't freak out or flinch was equally amazing. Aubrey began to talk in a low, comforting voice. She was hunched down next to Beca's ear.

"You just need someone to understand that even though it's been a year, the ache doesn't fade. It doesn't get easier. Because every little thing reminds you of her, by accident, reminds you of the bond you had. And you feel horrible because you know she'd want you to keep on living. To be happy. But you don't see how that's an option because all you feel are the millions of reminders that without her, the world is just wrong. It's upside down, it's perverse, it isn't anything close to good. There is no happiness. There is no joy. There is just the way things should be, but aren't, even though you'd trade anything in the world for just one more day, one more hour, one minute, one second," she said. Beca looked up at her. She was still crying, but not the same body-convulsing sobs. Aubrey's tears were falling silently, and Beca slowly took her hand. Aubrey squeezed it hard, trying to somehow show that she knew what Beca was feeling.

"I was fourteen," Aubrey half-whispered. "And she was everything to me. But she was gone in a heartbeat, in an accident. Car. The world stopped. Still feels like it's some weird alternate universe without her here. Even eight years on."

"When does it stop hurting?" Beca asked, voice breaking on the words.

"If I find out, I'll let you know," Aubrey said.

"I never figured I'd hurt this much in my life," Beca said.

"Nobody figures on it," Aubrey said. "It just happens. Have you talked to your dad about it?"

"I tried, once," Beca said. "He changed the subject when Sheila walked into the room." Chloe seethed to herself.

"I'm sorry, Beca," Aubrey said. "About your mom." Beca's phone began to ring in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that it was her dad, then let it fall to the carpet.

"I can't talk to him. He's been calling for hours," she said.

"Want me to talk to him?" Chloe said. "I'll just tell him you're here, and you're okay." Beca nodded, so Chloe bent down and picked up her phone.

"Beca's phone," she said. She listened to whatever Dr Mitchell was saying. "No, she's here with me and Aubrey, she's just in the bathroom. We were marathoning One Tree Hill and got caught up." She listened again.

"What do you mean?" she asked. She stood up, and Beca fell against Aubrey's side now, both of them watching as Chloe excused herself and went outside. All they heard was "I think you'll find-"

"She's got her attitude voice on," Aubrey said.

"Mmm," Beca said. Aubrey gingerly wrapped her arm around the smaller girl, who was still wiping at her face with the tissue.

"Look, I know we don't, you know, talk. But we can, if you want. Whenever you like. Or we can not talk. Whatever," Aubrey said. "Whatever you need. " There was a silence.

"Thanks," Beca said softly. They just sat there and waited for Chloe to return, Aubrey slowly rubbing the brunette's back. The ass-chewing obviously was a good one, because the redhead was gone for about ten minutes. By the time she returned, Beca was asleep, a dead weight against Aubrey's body. Chloe looked furious when she entered, but when she saw Beca her features softened.

"Oh," Chloe said softly. "She looks so tired. I don't really wanna wake her."

"What was that with her dad?" Aubrey asked. Chloe looked disgusted.

"That man is a moron," she said. "He said he thought she'd gotten over all this petty stuff with Sheila and him being together and I kind of read him the riot act. Without getting too specific. He was pretty stunned."

"I'm sure he was," Aubrey said. "So. Let's set Beca up in your bed and we'll share." It wasn't the first time the two had shared, even a single, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Chloe gently began pulling the covers back and Aubrey laid Beca down on the bed. Chloe unlaced her heavy boots and tucked her in.

"Think she'll mind sleeping in jeans?" Chloe worried.

"I don't think she'll care, because she's actually getting some sleep. Look at her, she's out like a light." Beca was breathing deep and even, completely stilled by the fatigue that had been following her for days. Aubrey and Chloe quickly changed and crawled into Aubrey's bed.

"I'm glad you were here with me for that," Chloe said. "I had no idea what to say to her. I don't know what that's like. I think you put her at ease."

"As much as one can be at ease in such a situation," Aubrey said. "The next few days are likely to be very rough on her, Chlo. We should watch out for her."

"We?"

"Well, yeah," Aubrey said. "I promised to be here if she needed me."

"Thanks Bree," Chloe said. "It means a lot to me that you would reach out to her. And I'm sure that it means a lot to her too." Chloe fell silent and Aubrey could tell she was drifting off to sleep. But it eluded Aubrey; she spent hours lying there thinking about her own mother, about how she felt after she died for years, about how Beca must be feeling. Eventually she began mentally reciting passages of legislation to herself to shut her brain down, and she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

When morning came, Aubrey was the first awake. Her body clock woke her daily at six am, regardless of how little sleep she might have had the night before. Chloe would wake up soon enough, but Beca was still completely asleep, her body obviously catching up on what it had missed. Aubrey didn't think she'd even moved since they tucked her in last night.

Her morning routine was a jog and coffee before a shower, so she quietly got up and changed, slipping out of the dorm without waking the other occupants. She ran ten miles, same as every other morning, and stopped to grab her morning coffee. Her phone buzzed from her armband – Chloe was requesting coffee as well. She bought two of Chloe's favorite, figuring that if Beca woke up soon she might want some caffeine in her bloodstream.

She carefully carried the cardboard tray back to their dorm, where Chloe had come back from the showers and was getting ready for her first class, but Beca was still sleeping soundly. Her makeup was smudged dark around her eyes and on Chloe's pillowcase, but she looked peaceful and still. Aubrey handed Chloe her caramel-vanilla half caf with cream and put the other on her desk.

"She's barely moved since last night," Chloe said softly. "She's in for a rough few days."

"She is," Aubrey said. "I had a full day of Bellas rehearsals planned for Saturday but I'm going to cancel it. She's not going to be in any state to do a full day, and she's going to need you."

"And you," Chloe said. "Because I've never done this. And I think she kind of responded to you last night. If you're up for it, of course."

"It explains a lot," Aubrey said. "About why she doesn't let people in, why she keeps everyone an appropriate distance away." Beca began to shift in the bed, and mumbled sleepily before sitting up.

"Where am I?" she asked. She rubbed her face with her hand and saw Aubrey and Chloe. "Oh. Um, hi."

"Hey," Chloe said. She gestured to the desk. "Bree bought coffee."

"Thanks," Beca said. Chloe passed her the cup. "And – uh – thanks for last night, as well. Both of you."

"Any time," Chloe said. "We're glad you came to us. And we're happy you managed to get some sleep."

"How long was I asleep for?" she asked, drinking some of the coffee. "Dude, sugary."

"I just got you the same as Chloe's. You crashed at about ten last night," Aubrey said. "So ten hours. Feel a bit better?"

"I don't feel like a zombie, so yes," Beca said. "Sorry for stealing your bed Chloe." Chloe waved a hand at her in dismissal.

"What time do you have classes today?" the redhead asked.

"Not til one," she said. "I've got time to go back to my room and shower and whatever." Chloe nodded.

"Um… I should probably tell you that I had a fight with your dad on the phone yesterday," she admitted. "He thought you were upset about Sheila so I told him that he was being ridiculous if he thought something like that would be upsetting you this much."

"What else did you tell him?" Beca asked.

"I said that if he couldn't figure out what was upsetting you so much then he was a crappy excuse for a dad, but that I wouldn't tell him because I was more interested in keeping the promise I made to you about keeping what we talk about to ourselves. He probably doesn't like me very much." Beca smiled a little.

"Thanks," she said. "I'll call him later or go see him I guess. I just knew that yesterday I was in no position to have that conversation with him. I was so exhausted I probably would have said or done something dumb." Chloe suddenly caught sight of the time.

"Crapballs, I'm running late," she said. "Ugh. Becs, stay as long as you need. And if you want me to come with you to see your dad, call me. And if you need anything at all…"

"I know, Chlo. Thanks." The redhead kissed her on the top of the head, stuck a few more things in her bag, picked up her coffee and darted out the door. Beca took another drink of the coffee. "How does she drink this all the time?"

"I have no idea," Aubrey said. "I'm a black kind of girl, or very rarely, latte with no sugar."

"I'm a white with an extra shot kind of girl myself," Beca said. "No point tainting coffee with this much sugar. Though I can feel the sugar running through my veins. I don't remember how much I've eaten in the past few days." Aubrey smiled and shook her head.

"I have to take a shower," she said. "But I don't have a class today til two thirty. If you want, you can go back to your room and clean up and we can have something to eat?"

"Yeah… okay," Beca said. "That's a good idea. Um, I'll text you once I'm done?"

"Deal," Aubrey said. "But you might want to do something about your impressive raccoon eyes before you leave." Beca stood up and peered in the mirror.

"Wow. That's terrifying," she said. Aubrey found some makeup remover and handed it to Beca.

"Alright, Rocky. Text me. I gotta shower, I smell like… I dunno, but I'm sure it's gross."

"Sure." Aubrey gathered a few things together and disappeared down the hall to the showers.

Beca had texted Aubrey about an hour later to meet her at the sandwich place near the English block. When she got to the café, Beca was sitting outside, perched behind her laptop with sunglasses on. She pushed the glasses up on top of her head when she saw Aubrey. Hitting a few keys to save her work, she closed her laptop and moved it to the side.

"Hey," Aubrey said. "Homework?"

"Mix," Beca said. "It's been floating around in my brain for a few days. Some of mom's favorite songs."

"I'd love to hear it when you're done," Aubrey said. "What kind of music was your mom into?"

"Everything," Beca said plainly. "Mom is how I got into music. She had the best collection of music ever. At night when I'd finished my homework we'd lay on the floor in the den and listen to record after record and talk about it. Like, talk about the Rumours album and wonder if all the things people have said about those songs are true. Or wonder if modern music is going to be able to deliver the same kinds of vocals as older music – like Etta James' At Last, or Eva Cassidy's God Bless The Child - because now there's so much you can do to a voice after it's recorded now, so do people still try as hard?"

"That sounds like an interesting way to pass the night."

"And when my dad left us, I was twelve, our house was never without music. We used it to fill the obvious hole. At first they were sad songs. But then they became happy songs. Because we still had each other, and music. So we'd play everything over and over. Motown on a Monday. Disco on Saturday mornings while we cleaned the house. Jazz and soul in the evenings when it was rainy. Or rock and folk when it was warm," Beca continued. "It was weird, most of the kids at school talked about what shows they watched or movies, but I never really did any of that. And I don't feel like I missed out on anything, I feel like they did."

"I think I would have liked your mom," Aubrey said. Beca's eyes focused on a figure behind the blonde.

"Everybody liked my mom," she sighed.

"Beca? What are you looking at?" Aubrey questioned.

"Oh, my dad's coming," she said. "He's seen us."

"Do you want me to give you guys a minute?" she asked.

"No, I think I'd rather you stayed," Beca said. Aubrey nodded, and Dr Mitchell arrived at the table a moment later.

"Beca," he said. "And…"

"Dad, Aubrey Posen," she said. "She's the captain of the Bellas."

"Nice to meet you Dr Mitchell," she said. "I don't believe I've taken any of your classes, but I have seen you around campus."

"What's your major?"

"Law," she replied.

"Beca, I think we need to talk about last night," he said. Beca gestured for him to sit down.

"I got an earful from your friend Chloe," he said. "Can you maybe tell me what's going on?"

"Um," she said. She looked at Aubrey who nodded. "Okay. I've been having a real rough time because on Saturday it'll be a whole year since mom-" She took a deep breath.

"Oh shit," he said. "Beca I'm an idiot. It'll be a year since she passed away. I had no idea it was a year already. I'm sorry."

"I mean, it hasn't really been easy for me," she said. "This whole year. Because Sheila wants to murder me every time I say her name, but dad – I need to talk about her. I have to. I can't sit on how much this hurts because then I end up like last night."

"What happened last night?" he said. Aubrey looked at Beca and saw that she was fighting back tears again. She put a hand on her knee under the table again, and felt the smaller girl clutch it.

"Um, Mr Mitchell, Beca knocked on our door sometime after nine last night. She hadn't slept or eaten in days, and Chloe and I had noticed and said that if she needed anything to come to us. She's been struggling trying to find someone she can talk to about her mom," she said. "And it's not a comment on you, sir, but she doesn't feel like she can come to you because Sheila's made it pretty clear that she doesn't like to hear about her. But it's okay, because she came to us. And Chloe and I are happy to be there for her."

"I'm sorry you feel like that Beca," he said. "But you can honestly come to me when you're upset about anything. I know I wasn't there for you for a long time and I want to be available to you."

"No offence, dad," Beca said, "But Chloe and Aubrey really helped. Chloe, well I tell everything to her. I don't know how she does that, she just makes me feel like I could tell her anything. And Bree, well… she knows what I'm going through."

"You lost your mother, Aubrey?" he asked gently.

"When I was fourteen, sir," Aubrey replied. Beca fidgeted nervously.

"So, that's about all I can say about that," she said. "I'm obviously still having a hard time, but it's gonna be okay, I think." Mr Mitchell looked at the both of them for a moment.

"Okay then. I'm glad to hear it," he said. "But Beca, don't forget that I always have time for you." She nodded and the man got up and made his way in the opposite direction. Beca let out a sigh and bent her head down to the table.

"You okay?" Aubrey asked.

"That was actually less painful than I imagined," she said. "But any conversation we have that is beyond surface level just feels so awkward. And with mom I could talk about anything."

"God you should sit in on the Posen family dinner one time," Aubrey said. "You don't know the meaning of awkward." Beca quirked an eyebrow.

"Seriously?"

"Colonel Posen. Then my two brothers trying to outdo each other with who is more amazing, and me trying not to get into any kind of conversation at all because then I'd end up either stress puking on the table or clutching my water glass so hard it shatters," she said. "Enough listening to Posen drama, lets get sandwiches."

"Yeah, let's do that," Beca said. They went and got some food and sat back at their table outside, and by the time Beca had to go to her afternoon class she was feeling pretty good for the first time in weeks. She shot off a text to Chloe just before class began.

_You and that roommate of yours are pretty cool._


	3. Chapter 3

Beca's good mood didn't last too long because Saturday rolled around and in a fitting manner, the weather had turned foul alongside her temperament. Her phone lit up with a text from Aubrey. She almost dreaded reading it, she knew there was a full day rehearsal scheduled, and she wasn't in the mood for that.

_Good morning Bellas. Our rehearsal for today has been cancelled. Please make sure you revise your parts prior to Tuesday._

Beca burrowed into her bed further. Aubrey never cancelled practices. She knew that it was because of her. Which was good because if she'd been forced to endure eight hours of Bellas rehearsals, she might have thrown a chair through a window. She texted Aubrey.

_Thank you._

A moment later her phone went off again. This time it was Chloe.

_If you want company today, Bree and I are marathoning The Sing Off and eating crap in our room all day._

Beca laid there for a few minutes. She knew she wouldn't really want to be around people, but Chloe and Aubrey were different than just people. Chloe would make her forget everything on her mind, and Aubrey would let her know that it was okay to remember the stuff she was upset about, and probably let her cry, which would likely happen at some point during the day.

_I'm in. I'll pick up coffee on the way._

Chloe sent back a smiley emoticon, so Beca sat up and got out of bed. She took a quick shower, and then dumped a bunch of stuff in her bag, including her laptop, and scrawled a note on the whiteboard outside her door in case anyone stopped by during the day looking for her.

_I'm not here, call my cell._

She stopped and grabbed coffee for the three of them – a tall black for Aubrey, and that sugary glorious mess for Chloe, and her own flat white with an extra shot. When she got to Chloe and Aubrey's dorm, she could hear them inside. She tapped on the door lightly, wondering if the girls inside were going to go straight to sympathetic, or just go about the day as if it were normal.

Thankfully, it was normal. Chloe stuck an arm out and hugged her, then Aubrey spotted the coffee and made a beeline for the cups. Beca stepped inside, smiling, and dropped her bag softly to the floor. Chloe had been waiting for Beca to get there before they started the marathon. Beca had never seen the show before and Chloe took great joy in explaining the basics of the show to her.

"Gotta say, Aubrey," Beca said, "I did not pick you for a reality TV junkie."

"Just this one show," she said. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for acapella."

She hit play and they soon got caught up in critiquing the performances. Beca was impressed at how big a deal acapella actually was. Chloe had popcorn ready to go, and they watched a slew of episodes back to back. Beca was having a good time, she managed not to think about her mom for a few hours. But when she saw the clock and it read 11:49, she couldn't squash the semi nauseous feeling that lay in her stomach. Her mother had passed away at 12:36pm.

The next episode Beca didn't even catch what was going on. Her mind was twelve months in the past. She could smell that pungent overpowering hospital scent all over again. Around halfway through the episode Chloe noticed that Beca had her knees pulled up to her chest. She turned the volume down.

"You okay?" she asked. Beca shook her head. She felt sick.

"Beca?" Aubrey asked. "You're pale. Water or air?" Beca tried to stand up. But she could smell antiseptic and bleach and starch, hear the beeping of that godforsaken monitor that signaled the slowing down of her mother's heart and her head was swimming.

"I think I need air," she mumbled.

"Do you want to be alone or do you want us to come with you?" Chloe asked softly. Beca stood and looked around vaguely.

"Will you guys come?" she asked quietly. "I don't really want to be alone." They hurriedly tossed on hoodies and made their way outside. It was cold and blustery, and clouds had rendered it fairly dark for the middle of the day. But it wasn't raining yet. The cold air assaulted Beca's face and she sucked it in greedily, trying to rid herself of the smell of that hospital room. She let the sound of the howling wind fill her ears as she sunk down onto the grass in front of a tree trunk. Chloe and Aubrey sat either side of her. She felt Chloe's hand on her back, but Aubrey was facing her to make sure she was okay. Aubrey noticed that she kept checking her watch.

"What time was it?" Aubrey asked softly, pulling her hoodie around her tighter.

"12:36," she said. She stared at her wrist until the display ticked over, and then she just buried her face in her arms. Chloe just kept her hand on her back, rubbing soft circles on her jacket. Aubrey had stuffed one of her pockets with Kleenex and at the first sign of Beca crying, she pulled one out and offered it to the brunette.

Aubrey then chanced a look at Chloe, who was biting her lip in worry. She looked like she wanted to say something, but Aubrey shook her head. She mouthed 'Just let her cry' to her, and the redhead nodded. They sat there quietly until the rain began to fall on them. Beca moved first, and she pulled Chloe up into a hug. Surprisingly, she turned to Aubrey next and hugged her just the same.

"Um… is there any chance we could just go listen to some music and lay around?" Beca said. "I'd kind of just like to..."

"Of course," Aubrey said. She squeezed Beca's hand, and then leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You're handling this a lot better than I did." Beca managed a half smile, but it didn't quite hit her eyes. They got back to the dorm, and Beca cued up some music on her laptop, starting with the mix she'd made of her mom's favorite songs and they just sat around not talking. It wasn't grand or eloquent, but Beca felt like it was a good way to remember her mom. Eventually she stopped playing music and flicked the show they were watching back on.

They ordered a couple of pizzas partway through the evening, and Beca offered to take the trash downstairs when they were done. After a little while, Aubrey noticed that she still wasn't back yet. Chloe was in the bathroom, so she tugged her coat on and went to look for her, leaving a note on Chloe's desk. She didn't have to go far – the brunette was sitting outside their dorm building, hands shoved in her pockets, just looking out into the sky.

"Hey," Aubrey said softly. "You okay?"

"What?" Beca said. "Oh, uh, yeah. Just taking a minute."

"Sure," Aubrey said. "I'll leave you to it."

"You don't have to go," Beca said. So Aubrey sat next to Beca on the low cement wall, their breath escaping in small, steamy puffs. Neither of them said a word for a little while.

"Mom always liked the cold," Beca said eventually. "It didn't snow that much in Portland, but it did get god damn cold. She said it made her feel alive to have cold air rushing over her face. I bet you it's freezing back home right now."

"When was the last time you were in Portland?" Aubrey asked.

"Summer," Beca said. "I stayed with my aunt Marina so I could graduate and stuff, then I moved here halfway through."

"Were you close with your aunt?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "I miss her. She was a lot younger than mom, she's only thirty two. Mom didn't have any other siblings and her parents died years ago. So it's me and Marina. I'd like to hear her voice, to be honest."

"Have you called her?" Aubrey asked. Beca shook her head, and checked her watch.

"It's only seven in Portland," Aubrey said. "Give her a call. I'm sure she wants to hear from you as much as you want to hear from her."

"I might do that," she said, digging her phone out. "I shouldn't be too long."

"It's cold, though," Aubrey said. She took her coat off and put it around Beca.

"Bree, you'll freeze."

"I'll just go back inside," Aubrey said.

"Thanks," Beca said, "I won't be long." Aubrey went back inside and found Chloe waiting on her bed, looking slightly anxious.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Aubrey said. "Beca was just having a pensive moment. She's going to call her aunt."

"Marina?" she asked. "That's a good idea. And she's definitely okay?"

"From what I could tell, yes," Aubrey said. "Or at least, as okay as you'd think." Beca returned a short while later, her eyes faintly red again. She didn't talk too much about her call to her aunt, not that the two seniors pressed it at all. They simply changed and got into bed, Chloe and Aubrey sharing Aubrey's bed again, and Beca in Chloe's bed. Aubrey wasn't sure, but it looked like Beca was awake for quite awhile, at least she was still wide awake when Aubrey fell asleep.

Aubrey was typically the first one awake the next morning, only this time she was quickly followed by Beca stirring and sitting up. She blearily looked around, recognized where she was and woke up.

"Hey," she managed. "Thanks for letting me crash again." Aubrey just waved a dismissive hand at her.

"I'm going for a run," Aubrey said, getting up and digging around for some clothes. "If you want to join." Beca made a face and lay back down, giving Aubrey some privacy to change.

"No thanks," she said. "My morning routine is normally caffeine and a hot shower, followed by more caffeine."

"So I'll text you when I'm done. If Chloe's awake, we'll have breakfast," she said. She pulled a light jacket on and a beanie.

"Chloe's awake," Chloe said. "We'll meet you at the normal place in an hour and a half."

"Okay," Aubrey said. She left the room, stretching her upper body as she went.

"Does she seriously do that every morning?" Beca asked.

"Every god damn morning," Chloe said. "Even when it's pelting rain, or snowing."

"That's dedication," Beca said, sitting up and tying her hair into a messy bun.

"Dedication, insanity, whatever," Chloe said.

"Hey," Beca said. "I –uh – already said this to Aubrey, but thanks for yesterday, Chloe. You guys are pulling me through this thing. And I appreciate it."

"Any time," Chloe said. "Stupid question, but are you okay?" Beca shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't know," she said in response. "But you guys helped. A lot. I don't even want to know what I'd be like if it wasn't' for the two of you."

"And you called your aunt last night?" Beca smiled at this.

"Yeah. It was nice to talk to her. I'm hoping to get out there for Thanksgiving," Beca said. "It'd be good to see her, go see Mom. Of course I'll have to swing it past my dad first. But he'd probably be okay with that as long as I was around for Christmas."

"That sounds nice," Chloe said. "And don't forget you're welcome to hang out here whenever you like."

"I will definitely take you up on that," she said. "Kimmy Jin is still kinda hostile. But right now, I gotta go take a shower. I'll meet you guys for coffee?" Chloe nodded and Beca got up. She tossed a hoodie on over her shirt and sweatpants and crammed all her stuff into her bag, waving at Chloe before she left.


	4. Chapter 4

Beca became a regular fixture around Chloe and Aubrey's dorm after that. And when they weren't all together at the dorm, they were normally together at the library, or at the coffee shop, or in the Bellas rehearsal hall. Chloe was happy to see her two best friends getting along, and getting along well. Beca felt almost equally at ease with Aubrey now as she did with Chloe, the three of them forming a tight bond.

Beca gradually began to share with Aubrey the sorts of things she'd been sharing with Chloe, about her mom, about Portland, about her dad. And Aubrey in turn began sharing little bits of her life as well, again, stuff she'd only previously shared with Chloe. The redhead had pointed out to each of them, more than once, that they actually had quite a lot in common if they thought about it. Apart from the obvious things with their mothers, they both had strained relationships with their fathers, tended to keep people at a distance, had a bizarre attachment to caffeine, and had a tendency to be rather blunt.

The first time Aubrey and Beca hung out alone was because Chloe had a study group that switched days. It was actually kind of pleasant. The two of them just ended up studying for awhile, and then Beca asked Aubrey if she thought it would be hard to take on a double major. Beca hadn't declared just yet, and while she thought it would be good to do a music major, she wondered if taking on music and marketing together might be more beneficial in the long run. That had led to a discussion on what they envisioned themselves doing in terms of a career. Beca had never made any secrets about her desire to go into music professionally, but this was the first time she talked at length about the kind of work she wanted to do.

Aubrey had confessed that law hadn't always been her choice, but she actually enjoyed it. She didn't want to defend corporations or the rich and wealthy as was expected of her though, she wanted to work on legislation, or public interest maybe. That was a surprise to Beca, because Aubrey definitely had the drive to be a legal powerhouse, but she didn't want it. When Chloe got home they were still talking, their books long forgotten, which was rare for Aubrey, definitely. Chloe listened in as they kept talking, joining in intermittently, but for the most part just enjoying the fact that her two best friends were having deep and meaningful discussions with each other. She asked Aubrey about it later, and the blonde just shrugged and said that they were friends now, she guessed.

The week before Thanksgiving, Beca had just finalized her plans to fly back to Portland for a few days. She was really looking forward to being back home, but she also realized that she was going to miss Chloe, Aubrey and the rest of the Bellas while she was gone. Chloe had offered to drive her to the airport, which she gratefully accepted, because even though she and her dad were trying to make some real connections, things were still awkward between them. Like, he dropped by the radio station unannounced one afternoon while she and Jesse were stacking CDs. She had given him a quick tour, and he'd seemed relatively interested in it all, but they ran out of things to say and he'd begged off, saying that he had papers to grade.

Jesse had only made the afternoon worse by rambling in that way that she was sure he thought made him endearing, about their aca-children and their inevitable marriage, and Beca couldn't stomach another rant, so she stopped him.

"Jesse," she said. "Look, you're a cool guy. And I'm sure one day you're going to have a bunch of adorably talented aca-babies, but it is definitely not going to be with me."

"You say that now," he said. "But I've seen this movie. You're all prickly, and I'm all charming and in the end – "

"Plot twist, Jesse. I'm all prickly, you're all charming, but even in the end I'm still gay," she said plainly. "No amount of charm is going to change that." He looked slightly stunned for a moment.

"You're gay?" he asked, a little confused.

"Duh," she said. "I would have thought that it was fairly obvious."

"Are you sure?"

"Seriously?" she said. "Is that a serious question you're asking me?"

"But have you kissed a dude? Because otherwise how would you… know?"

"Oh my god. Jesse. Are you gay?"

"No."

"Have you ever kissed a dude? Because, you know, how do you know you're not gay if you've never tried it?" she asked, pointing out the stupidity of his question.

"Sorry," he said. "That was kinda dumb. Um, you just surprised me is all."

"I'm getting that," she said. "It's no big deal. Most people figure it out on their own when they meet me. And I don't mind hanging out with you, but you need to know Jess, all this stuff about aca-children, it's not going to happen." He nodded.

"Okay," he said. "Uh. Sorry. I'll cool it with the aca-children. Though you know that means we're bros now. Wingmen." Beca rolled her eyes.

"Outstanding," she said sarcastically. "I look forward to it."

"So," he said, "What kind of girls are you into? You know, now that I think about it, I don't like the idea of you being my competition. You've got that mysterious, dark thing going on. Chicks would dig that."

"Jesse," she groaned. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I know," he laughed. "Just getting on your case. So you're going to Portland for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah," she said. "What are you doing?"

"Going home," he said. "Benji is coming with. His folks are in Europe or something, so I invited him home with me. Is it weird that Benji is only like six weeks younger than me but I feel like he's my little brother?"

"No, I know what you mean," Beca said. "He's got that innocent kid thing." At that moment Luke stuck his head out of the booth.

"Which one of you wants to go on a coffee run?" he said.

"Me," Beca said. "I could use a boost myself." She hurriedly left the station and walked over to the nearest coffee place and saw Chloe and Stacie sitting there together. She stopped off for a second.

"Hey," Stacie said. "What's up?"

"Luke requested coffee," Beca said.

"You aren't his indentured slave," Chloe said. "He can get his own coffee."

"Yes, but this had two perks. One, I get coffee for Luke and I get coffee for me in the process. Two, it ended a fairly awkward exchange between me and Jesse."

"Is that the Treble kid who never stops drooling over you?" Stacie asked.

"Well, he's gonna stop now," Beca said. "I just bit the bullet and told him I was gay, since he doesn't seem to have a functioning gaydar, like, at all."

"He didn't know you were gay?" Stacie asked. "I'm pretty sure I had you pegged as a lesbian in ten minutes." Beca just shrugged.

"I don't know man. All I know, that constant talking about us having babies and whatever was really starting to piss me off. So better to tell him up front, except now he has a whole idea about us being each other's wingmen," she said. "I don't even know how we got there."

"That's crazy," Chloe chuckled. "Hey, what are you doing later? Bree and I are going for Chinese food. You too, Stacie."

"I'll be done at the station at six-thirty," Beca said. "Come by and we'll go from there."

"I'm in," Stacie said.

"Awesome," Chloe said.

"I should go. Luke will send the wolf pack out after me," Beca said. "Six thirty?" She picked up coffee for her and Luke, Jesse wasn't much of a coffee drinker, and returned to the station to see out the rest of her shift. Luke left at six, the night shift completely cued up and ready to go, which Beca hated. She would love nothing more than to host a shift, but the damn computers got the privilege. Jesse and Beca locked up at six thirty, and Aubrey, Chloe and Stacie were approaching as they closed the main door.

"Girls night out?" he asked.

"Yeah, just grabbing dinner," Beca said.

"This isn't some weird double date?" he teased. "Which one of them are you keen on?" Beca just punched him in the arm and glared at him.

"Hey man, what's with the violence?" he said.

"Don't even start with me Swanson," she said. "If I'd known you were gonna ride me so hard about this I never would have told you."

"Touchy, are we?" he asked. Beca just rubbed at her face.

"Touchy about what?" Chloe asked.

"Jesse thinks my being gay is quite hilarious," Beca grumbled. "He's barely let up all afternoon." Aubrey raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

"Funny?" she asked.

"It was just a couple of jokes," he mumbled, instantly retreating under Aubrey's stare.

"To you, maybe," she said. "And Beca's got thick skin. But it's not really a joking matter. How would you like it if someone made fun of you constantly about something that you couldn't change?"

"Aubrey," Beca said. "He didn't mean any harm."

"She's right, though," Jesse said. "My bad. I'll try and keep the jokes down. We cool?"

"Yeah, we are," Beca said. "Catch you later, Jesse."

"Enjoy dinner, ladies," he said. He headed off towards his dorm, and the four girls headed in the opposite direction. Beca was lagging a bit, and Aubrey turned to see what was keeping her.

"You okay?" she asked. "Sorry if I was out of line with Jesse. That sort of stuff just really bugs me."

"No, it's fine," Beca said. "I appreciate it. He isn't a bad guy, really. And I think I took him by surprise earlier when I told him. It's probably just his way of coping. I just… didn't expect that someone I see as often as Jesse wouldn't even consider that I was gay. It was weird."

"He just has no gaydar," Aubrey said. "Like Amy. Amy thinks Cynthia Rose is the only queer person in the Bellas. Her count is way off."

"Well, there's me," Beca said. "And Chloe already told me she's bi. And Denise vibes like she's gay."

"And Stacie, from all the stories Chloe and I have heard, is pansexual. She's just into people," Aubrey clarified. "And then there's me."

"And you are..?" Beca asked.

"Still to be defined," Aubrey said. "I know I'm definitely not straight. It's a bit more complicated than I'd like to admit, at my age."

"Any particular reason?" Beca asked. "I mean, you don't have to tell me, if you don't want to." They walked silently for a moment, behind the other girls. Up ahead, Stacie was talking to Chloe.

"Um, is there a thing going on there that we need to know about?" she asked, gesturing back to them.

"I don't know," Chloe said. "They're definitely close now, but god it's hard to tell with Aubrey, you know, what's going on in her head. I'm kinda hoping there is, to be honest. I think, despite the fact they're both stubborn as hell, they'd be good for each other. But it'll have to be something they get to on their own."

"Agreed," Stacie said. "Push either of them and they'll throw up their walls." Back down the street a little, Aubrey was figuring out how to explain it.

"My dad is a hard man," she said. "Don't get me wrong, I love him. But he really didn't know what to do with a girl. He pretty much raised me as a non-sexual being. I couldn't talk about anything personal like that with him, he just didn't know what to do with it. So I never really began to understand sex and sexuality until I got to college."

"That sounds incredibly rough," Beca said.

"Chloe was quite helpful," Aubrey said. "Just imagine someone like me walking in to Chloe as a roommate. It was shocking, but not in a bad way. Anyway, I've slept with a guy, but I was more than a little drunk and I don't actually remember if I enjoyed it a great deal or not. And I've fooled around with a few people, I'm just sort of testing the waters so to speak. Like most people do in their teens. Which makes me a bit behind the times, which is crazy as a college senior."

"Well, Bree, just remember that you don't actually have to be any one thing. And if you're just figuring stuff out, then there's nothing wrong with that," Beca said. "Your life, you get to decide if there's a label for you or not, if you even want one." Aubrey smiled at her.

"Thanks," Aubrey said. "That's actually sort of comforting." They fell into an easy silence, catching up with the other girls at the crosswalk and heading into the restaurant.


	5. Chapter 5

Beca got off the plane in Portland and her eyes scanned the waiting crowd for her aunt. It was kind of useless though, since her aunt was barely taller than she was, and the airport was full of people who also waited until the day before Thanksgiving to fly home. She waited until the crowd thinned out a little and spotted her, the older woman running toward her and throwing her arms around her.

"There she is," Marina said. "Man, I missed you."

"What, you getting soft on me now, Aunt Marina?" she teased.

"Hell yes," she said back. "You are my only niece, don't forget that." The implication was obvious to both of them, because they were the only family that they had, on this side anyway.

"Yeah, I missed you too," Beca said. "Thanks for letting me crash your Thanksgiving."

"I'm glad you wanted to come out," Marina said. "I didn't have much planned, just a couple of people from work coming over, but I still plan on cooking my ass off."

"Nana's pie?"

"Always Nana's pie," Marina said. "Come on, let's get home. It's cold as hell outside, so you might want to dig a jacket out."

They rode back to Marina's house, and just walking into the familiar house was enough to make Beca feel completely at ease. Marina flicked the coffee pot on before she helped Beca bring her bag upstairs.

"I haven't really changed your room since you left," she said. "I was hoping you'd come back and visit."

"I'll be here as often as I can," Beca said. "Feels more like home to me than dad's house." They headed downstairs.

"How is it all going with your dad, anyway?" Beca shrugged.

"He's nice enough," Beca said. "And he's trying, he is. But I still find it really hard to open up to him. Like, he wasn't there for so long, so it feels weird to… I don't know. I guess it's rough trying to share with someone who wasn't interested for so long." Marina poured coffee.

"I can see that," Marina said. "But don't forget, even your mom said he wasn't a bad guy. Just the wrong guy."

"I know," Beca said. "It's just going to take some getting used to. We talked about mom, very briefly."

"Really?"

"It was just before the day I called you. I had a bit of a meltdown," Beca said. "And I could have called you, and I probably should have, but I needed someone to be there, like, right in front of me. And the first time I tried to talk to dad he got all weird when Sheila walked in. So I was getting pretty screwy. Wasn't sleeping, eating, you know."

"Beca Mitchell, so help me god, I will kick your ass six ways from Sunday if you pull that shit and don't call me."

"It's okay," Beca said. "I've got a few friends I can lean on. Chloe and Aubrey really got me through it. I've told you about Chloe before."

"You have," Marina said. "But who's Aubrey?"

"Aubrey is her roommate, and the co-captain of the Bellas. She's actually been really fantastic. Her mom died when she was fourteen, and when I turned up a mess on the doorstep she basically told me it was okay to be a mess, sometimes."

"She sounds like a smart girl," Marina said.

"She's also the one who suggested I call you," Beca said.

"Then I like her," Marina said. "That was a rough day for me, too."

"We hang out a lot, sometimes with our other friend Stacie," Beca said. "It's nice."

"Are they all seniors?"

"No, Stacie's a freshman too. But we're all Bellas," Beca said. "I guess you could say that I enjoy Barden a lot more than I thought I would."

"Good to hear," Marina said. "Even if I do miss you like crazy, Midget."

"Can you not call me that?" Beca groaned. "You're like two inches taller than me."

"Two inches totally counts," Marina teased. "Come on. Once you finish that coffee, we need to start preparing for tomorrow."

"How many people are coming?"

"Four of my work friends," she said. "You've met Alice and Kerry. Then there's Danielle and Miles. Then me and you."

"But let me guess," Beca said. "You're making enough food to last a lifetime."

"I'm eating nothing but turkey for a week," she said triumphantly. "I love Thanksgiving." They spent the evening preparing the food for tomorrow, and grabbing burgers instead of cooking dinner for themselves. After they'd finished the last of their preparations, they made another round of coffee and sank into the couch.

"So," Marina said. "Day after Thanksgiving, I thought we'd drive out and see your mom."

"I'd like that," Beca said. "Do you go out there much?"

"I try to," Marina said. "You know, keep it tidy, bring flowers and whatever." Beca yawned, and Marina took the cup from her.

"Go to bed," she said. "We'll be up early dealing with turkey anyway." She ruffled Beca's hair, causing the girl to roll her eyes, but she got up and headed towards her bedroom anyway.

Thanksgiving was relatively quiet, but Beca enjoyed herself. Marina's friends were a lot like Marina, which meant she got along with them quite well. And they didn't treat her like a kid, even if they did get in on the short jokes fairly quickly. She begged off to her room mid evening, turkey and the couple of glasses of wine she'd had with dinner making her a little tired, but as soon as she flopped down onto her bed, her phone started vibrating.

"Hello?"

"Hey Becs! Happy Thanksgiving!" Chloe said.

"You too," she said. "Have a nice day?"

"Oh yeah," Chloe said. "Aubrey and I have our own tradition. Turkey subs, vodka cran, and ignoring everything. You and Stacie are the only people we've talked to today, apart from my parents."

"Why do you guys hate Thanksgiving so much?" Beca asked, laughing.

"We don't, really. But we like having one day for our tradition. And no way in hell was Aubrey going home, so I've taken to staying. I go home for Christmas though."

"That's actually kind of cute. And I approve of exchanging cranberry sauce for vodka cran. Genius."

"Why thank you," Chloe said. "How's Portland?"

"It's great. We're going out to see mom tomorrow," Beca said. "But it's been awesome hanging out with Marina again."

"Sounds like this is just what you needed," Chloe said.

"It was. Tell Bree I said happy Thanksgiving to her, too. I miss you both."

"Don't forget to let me know if you get delayed or anything," Chloe said. "I'll see you in a couple of days." They ended the call and Beca pulled her headphones toward her. She put them on and lay down on her bed, eventually falling asleep still wearing her jeans and hoodie.

The next morning, she woke up with her headphones half off. She sat up and rubbed the deep red imprint the cord had left on her cheek and shifted uncomfortably. She was aching for a hot shower. At some point it looked like Marina had covered her up with a blanket, but she was still cold. She showered and dressed quickly and made her way downstairs, joining Marina for coffee in silence – neither of them were morning people.

Mid-morning they set off for the cemetery where Beca's mom was buried, still not talking much. It was a cold day, but the sun was out. When they got to the cemetery, they got out of the car and looked in the general direction of where the headstone was.

"How do you wanna do this?" Marina asked. "Do you want me to come with you?" Beca just looked nervous, even though she'd done it before.

"Um, maybe you should go first," Beca said. "I don't really know how long I'm going to take. Lots to tell her."

"Okay, honey. I'll be a couple of minutes, then I'll wait in the car. No rush." Beca waited with her hands shoved in her jacket pockets until Marina came back. The older woman grabbed her hand for a second and Beca made her way toward her mother's grave.

Part of her hated this place. It was almost insulting to her that her mother had been reduced to a simple stone marker and a patch of grass when she had been so vibrant in life. But she also loved this place. Because she knew deep down that her mother was always with her, but being able to sit here and talk to her, it just felt more real to her. She sank to the grass, cold seeping up through her jeans.

"Hey mom," she said. "Sorry it's been so long since I came out here. I guess you could say that I've been busy at school. You'll be pleased to know that I haven't shut myself off, just like I promised you. I, uh, joined an acapella group. I know I told you I didn't figure I'd do much singing again… but these girls got to me I guess. And they're really great girls. A bit unorthodox, some of them, but I like them. They're also really talented. I think you'd really like them. They've really pulled me through this year, since… well." She sighed and shifted.

"It's been hard without you, mom. I still miss you more than I can stand most days. I wouldn't have made it til now without Chloe and Aubrey. Let me tell you," she almost chuckled, "You would not have picked them as the two girls I'd connect with. Or maybe you would have, you always did know what I needed more than I did. They're both captains of the Bellas, that's the acapella group we're in. Anyway, they basically stopped me falling apart. Chloe reminds me a lot of you in a way. She manages to get me to open up without saying anything. And Aubrey lost her mom, too. She helped me realize it was okay to miss you, and okay to have bad days. I really needed that. I honestly thought I was going crazy."

"I'm also trying to fix things with dad," Beca said. "Slowly. It's still a bit awkward, but we're both trying. I know you wanted that. It's just hard because I feel like I barely know him. But you're right, he's not really a bad guy. He's not trying to force anything, which is good, because we both know I'd just shut down at that. I'm even doing pretty well in my classes. So Barden isn't as bad as I thought it would be, it's just… different. Without you. I don't know if I'm ever really going to get used to the idea of you not being here, but that's not a problem, I don't think. Because little things still make me think about you. Like Stacie and Chloe are obsessed with E News, and Jessica's older brother is taking classes at Shenandoah Con and his teacher knows who you are – were – I guess, that Cynthia Rose likes her coffee with that fake creamer that I swear tastes like acid but you loved, and that Aubrey really likes Carole King, almost as much as you did. So these people are good people, you know? And it's not the same as having you, but as long as they're around, I'm going to be okay." She got up and brushed her jeans off.

"I love you mom. I'll try and get out here again soon." She touched the headstone for a moment, and then walked back to the car, where Marina was playing Sam Cooke softly over the stereo.

"You okay kiddo?" she asked. Beca shrugged as she put her seatbelt on.

"I think so," she said. They drove back to Marina's place, singing along with Sam, Marina sharing the same musical gene as her sister and niece.

The remainder of her stay in Portland was uneventful, and Marina dropped her back at the airport three days after Thanksgiving. Just as she was about to go through boarding, Marina pulled her into a hug.

"I love you, kiddo," she said.

"I love you, too," Beca said. "I'll try and get out over spring break maybe?"

"That would be nice," Marina said. "Before you go, though." She pulled a blank disc out of her bag.

"What's that?"

"It's some video I found of you and your mom," Marina said. "It's good. Made me smile. Thought you might like to watch it." Beca stared at it for a second before she took it and stuck it in her messenger bag.

"Thanks," she said. "I'll call you when I'm back in Barden."

"Be safe," Marina said. Beca gave her a last wave and then handed her boarding pass to the attendant at the gate.


	6. Chapter 6

Beca had enjoyed her trip to Portland, but she was also glad to be back in Barden. She spent her first night back at Chloe and Aubrey's catching up on the gossip before passing out in Chloe's bed. The next morning when she got up, Aubrey was still on her morning jog and a note on the desk informed her Chloe had a meeting with a professor. She showered and went back to their dorm to grab her stuff so she could get ready for classes. As she was shoving things unceremoniously in her bag, the disc her aunt had given her fell out. She bit her lip, unsure if she wanted to watch it, but stuck it in her laptop anyway, pulling her headphones on.

When the grainy video came on - it seemed Marina had taken the video on her cell - she could see herself sitting at a piano stool with her mother. The stool at the piano where her mother had taught her to play. Where they'd played and sang their way through years of their lives together. It was just before her mom had started to get sick. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying to each other, but her mom's hands soon hit the piano, Beca's following suit once she recognized the song.

Two things happened while she was watching the video. One, she started crying. She didn't even realize it at first, but it was the combination of remembering how happy she always was sitting next to her mom and singing with her, seeing that her mom looked and sounded so healthy and happy, and of course hating the fact that she was gone. But the tears came anyway, hot and silent and sliding down her cheeks as she watched.

The second thing was that Aubrey came back from her run. Beca hadn't heard the door open, what with the headphones and the crying, but the blonde was right next to her in an instant. She pressed a Kleenex into Beca's hand.

"Bec, what's wrong?" she asked. Beca tugged her headphones down and sniffled, wiping at her face.

"Nothing, it's stupid," she said.

"Beca Mitchell."

"Marina gave me this video before I came home," she said, gesturing to the screen. "It's me and mom singing together. And it made me miss her, and she looks so fucking healthy and it was like, literally a couple of weeks before she got sick, and now I'm crying and god knows why." Aubrey pulled her into a hug, and Beca let her. She was getting better with the whole hugging thing. Chloe was a constant hugger, but Aubrey wasn't really. But neither of them tensed up or pulled back for a few moments.

"It's not stupid," Aubrey said against her hair. "Crying isn't stupid. It's okay, Beca. To miss her and cry."

"Maybe," Beca said. "Aubrey?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you watch the rest with me? If I, uh, watch it alone I might end up a wreck."

"I'll totally watch it with you, if you don't mind the fact that I haven't showered after my run yet," she said. Beca unplugged her headphones and shifted so Aubrey could sit next to her and see the screen. Without warning, Beca leaned her head down onto Aubrey's shoulder as she hit play, and Aubrey was surprised for all of a second before she wrapped an arm around her.

She knew Beca's mom had been a musician, she'd taught at the Conservatorium after all. But she was incredibly talented. It was clear where Beca got her musical talent from. The two of them together were impressive. Beca's mom had a clear soprano that melded perfectly with her daughter's alto, and they performed intuitively, reading invisible signals between each other. Beca kept sniffling a little, but it was with a watery smile as she watched. When the video ended with Marina being busted for videoing them, she closed her laptop but stayed on Aubrey's shoulder.

"Thanks for watching that with me," she said, barely above a whisper.

"It was my pleasure," Aubrey said. "She was amazing, Beca."

"Yeah, she was."

"And you are too. You guys were incredible together."

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Beca said softly. "It was good to see this. Even though I cried through the whole thing."

"I didn't even know you played the piano," Aubrey said.

"I don't, well, not any more," Beca replied. "I tried to keep playing but every time I sat at the piano after mom died I just ended up crying. But I feel like maybe I should take it up again, for her. Or as a way to remember her."

"Well if you decide you want to do that, you can use the piano in the Bellas hall any time you like." They sat there for a few more minutes.

"I should probably get going, I have a class later," Beca said.

"And I need to take a shower," Aubrey said. "But if you want to talk or anything, give me a call?"

"I will. Thanks." Beca put her laptop away and gathered all her things again. Just before she left the room, she turned and gave Aubrey a small smile that she returned. Her thoughts stayed with the blonde as she walked back to her room, reflecting on the fact that the two of them were getting to be really close. She wouldn't have ever figured on her and Aubrey becoming such good friends, but now she counted her as good a friend as Chloe was, which was saying a lot.

She slid into her intro to marketing class and sat next to Cynthia Rose, who was taking some of the same classes as her. She really should have been paying attention, and the other girl was shooting her looks as if to try and snap her out of the haze she was in, but she just couldn't focus. Because she found that she was still thinking about Aubrey and that confused the life out of her. After the lecture let out, Cynthia Rose pulled at her arm.

"You alright, B?" she said. "You had some serious space cadet issues there."

"Just thinking," Beca replied, shrugging.

"Look," Cynthia Rose said, "You don't have to tell me anything, but if you do want to talk, I got your back." Beca slowed a little. Maybe talking her confusion out would help. And she liked Cynthia Rose a lot.

"Yeah, have you, uh, got time for coffee or something?" Beca said.

"Hell yeah," she replied. "Let's do it." They stopped for coffee and sat outside, an appropriate distance away from anyone who might hear.

"So first," Beca said, "I need to lead by pointing out something fairly obvious. I'm assuming you already knew that I'm gay."

"Of course I knew," Cynthia Rose said. "Who didn't know?"

"Jesse," she replied. "Not until I explicitly told him. He had no idea."

"Are you kidding?" she said. Then she shook her head. "Not the point. Go on."

"And you know that I've been spending a lot of time with Chloe and Aubrey," Beca said. "They helped me out with a seriously bad time I was having earlier."

"Everything okay?" the darker woman said.

"The short version is that my mom died a little over a year ago and I was not handling it at all, and they got me through," Beca said. "And since then, I guess we've been pretty tight."

"So what's got you so strung out?"

"Aubrey," Beca said simply. She waited a beat before continued. "Everyone thinks it's logical for me and Chloe to get together, which I understand. She's beautiful and we flirt but it's nothing, we both know that. But with Aubrey, I don't know, it feels like there's something there that's a bit more intense than what Chloe and I have. And I just spent an entire lecture thinking about her."

"Well, you're both kind of intense people," Cynthia Rose said. At least she wasn't laughing, which is what Beca had expected. "Thinking what, exactly?"

"Just that she's beautiful," Beca started, blushing, "And that she makes me feel really comfortable, even when I'm stressing out or crying about mom. And that today I just spent like twenty five minutes watching this old video my aunt took of me and my mom with her, me crying, her being amazing, and when it was done all I could think was that I really didn't mind the fact that she had her arm around me."

"So you like Aubrey," Cynthia Rose said. "I don't really wanna pry or anything, but is she even into girls? Is that even a possibility?"

"I think it is," Beca said, not wanting to give away too much of what Aubrey told her in private conversation.

"So are you thinking that you might, you know, ask her out or something?"

"Maybe," Beca said. "I don't know. I just don't want to risk fucking up one of the best friendships I've got."

"Yeah, girl, but you didn't hear the way you were just talking about her," Cynthia Rose said. "You were talking about her like you're into her. Like, a lot, though."

"Yeah," the smaller girl said. "I think I do. I know she comes off as really tense and high strung, but it comes from a lot of shit with her family, I guess. She's actually sweet and kind of funny, and lately I just can't really keep from thinking about her. But it makes me nervous, because I'm not really good at the dating thing."

"You have dated before, though?"

"Yeah, CR, I have," she said. "I had a couple of girlfriends in high school, but I don't know… like you said. It's intense with her."

"So think about it a while longer," Cynthia Rose said. "You guys would be cute together, and I can see how you two would make sense. You're kind of similar in some ways, and kind of different in others. Just don't let being afraid being the reason you don't do anything, okay?"

"Deal," Beca said. "Thanks."

"Anytime, B. I told you, I've got your back."

"Hey are you going home for Christmas?"

"Nah. I was home over Thanksgiving, and my folks are going out to my sister's in Michigan so I'll be here. You going to your dad's?"

"I'll have lunch with him and Sheila," Beca said. She'd accepted the invitation the previous day. "But other than that I'm open."

"Stacie, Amy and Ashley should all be around," Cynthia Rose said. "We should totally have a Bellas Christmas. Dinner or something."

"That sounds cool," Beca said. "Let's set it up." They kept chatting until Cynthia Rose had to go to get to her next class. Beca stayed where she was for a while, ordering another coffee and still thinking about Aubrey.

They saw each other a few more times as Christmas approached, and Beca found herself spending more and more time thinking about the blonde after each meeting. Cynthia Rose hadn't told anyone about Beca's feelings for Aubrey, but Beca had used her as a sounding board a few more times, each time the other girl giving her plenty of support. She claimed to have watched Aubrey during their practices and felt like the interest was definitely mutual.

Beca had enlisted Aubrey's willingly offered help with her statistics assignment and they sat over coffee one afternoon as the blonde managed to explain to her in ten minutes what her tutor couldn't explain clearly in three sessions.

"You're a pretty good teacher," Beca said. "I owe you big time. I was totally going to flunk that class otherwise."

"Well, you can call it even since you're driving me and Chloe to the airport when we leave for break," Aubrey said.

"At least let me buy the next round," Beca said.

"Deal," Aubrey said. The conversation moved out of statistics and into more recreational things, Beca telling the blonde about the mixes she was working on. When they separated, Aubrey went back to her dorm, where Chloe was starting to pack for her trip home for Christmas. Aubrey closed the door behind her and sat at her desk, not cracking a book or opening her laptop.

"Okay, Bree," Chloe said after watching her stare blankly at her wall for a full five minutes. "Spill. Whatever is going on in that pretty blonde head of yours, spill it."

"It's probably nothing," Aubrey said.

"Probably nothing, my ass," she said. Aubrey's fingers began fiddling with the end of her ponytail.

"So maybe it's something," she said. "I don't know, Chloe, I could be crazy." Chloe sighed. Aubrey was the most infuriating person to have a conversation with, sometimes. She just waited Aubrey out, knowing she'd say something eventually. It took almost twenty minutes.

"I might have… feelings for someone."

"Really?" Chloe said. "Anyone I know?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "This is where I might be crazy. It's Beca."

"Beca Mitchell?" Aubrey just rolled her eyes. "Seriously, though?"

"You don't sound surprised, Chlo."

"I'm not," Chloe shrugged. "You guys are really tight now. And neither of you really do the close thing, apart from with me but that's different because I didn't give you guys a choice."

"So you don't think I'm crazy?" Aubrey said.

"No. You guys might both be stubborn and unyielding sometimes, but you both have good hearts, you both deserve someone who makes you happy and you both seem to make each other happy. She let down her walls for you, Bree. So no, I don't think you're crazy."

"But would it be weird if we – you know, because we're all such good friends and it might get a bit complicated or whatever."

"Don't worry about me," Chloe said. "I still see plenty of you both, together and separately."

"But what if-"

"Aubrey."

"No, what if-"

"Aubrey!" Chloe said. The blonde covered her face with her hands.

"What if I just imagined everything and she doesn't like me at all?" she managed to say. She felt Chloe's fingers peeling her hands away from her face.

"You, Aubrey Posen, are a catch. You're beautiful and smart, you're a great friend, you care about people, you're driven and funny and a total sweetheart. Trust me, she'd be nuts not to like you. Plus, she's already demonstrated she likes you enough to share her biggest secrets with," Chloe said. "Go for it, or talk to her, or something. The only thing you'll regret is never knowing."

"Maybe I will," Aubrey said. Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out, looking at the screen. "Huh."

"What is it?" Chloe said.

"It's Beca," Aubrey said, reading the text. "She has something she needs to discuss with me, and she says it's important. She wants me to meet her later."

"So tell her you'll be there," Chloe said. "No time like the present." She smiled as the blonde texted back. Hopefully there would be some progress between her friends now.


	7. Chapter 7

Aubrey returned to the coffee shop where she had left Beca only hours ago. The brunette looked distracted, and Aubrey's first concern was that she was upset about something. However, when she approached the younger girl and sat down, she was greeted with a smile, so she discounted that quickly.

"Hey," Beca said. "Thanks for coming. I know I only saw you a couple of hours ago."

"Is everything okay?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah. I mean, I hope so," Beca said. "Which is very cryptic, so I may as well just dive right in."

"Dive away," Aubrey said, suddenly feeling butterflies in her stomach.

"I'm a little nervous," Beca said. "But hear me out. This year, you've been a pretty incredible friend to me. And I'm so glad that we've become close. You're really important to me, Aubrey, you and Chloe both. But lately I feel like… our friendship has changed a bit. You and I, we're definitely a little different to the way Chloe and I are."

"Changed how?" Aubrey said. She felt her heart rate increase slightly. Beca spoke quickly now, rambling a little.

"Changed as in… I don't know how to put it. Cynthia Rose says we're both really intense people. I think she's right about that. I feel like the air around us has been loaded for a little while, like there's more to it. The time we've spent together on our own… ugh, Aubrey, I suck at trying to explain these things. So, what I'm saying is, I feel like you're more than a friend to me. And at the very least, I want you to be." Aubrey's eyes snapped up to meet her own.

"You want us to be… more than friends?" she managed to say.

"Yes. And I know you're about to go home for Christmas, but I would really like to take you out when you get back. On a date," she said. She waited through a lengthy pause, Aubrey's eyes drifting to a print on the wall. "Aubrey?"

"I can't believe you're saying this to me," she said. Beca immediately thought the worst and her head dropped, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. Aubrey saw the girl's face fall, and quickly reached out a hand, interlacing it with Beca's on the tabletop. "I can't believe you're saying this to me, because I've been thinking about saying it to you."

Beca's head rose, and a light smile appeared on her face. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," she said. "I don't know when it happened, exactly, but I feel the same way. And I'd love to go on a date with you." Her fingers squeezed Beca's, and the brunette was smiling radiantly now.

"Awesome," Beca said. "Um, you get back on the 27th, so is the day after okay?"

"I can't wait," she said. They stayed there for a little longer, talking about inconsequential things, their fingers still entwined on top of the table. Each glance between them, however, now brought light blushes and shy smiles. Time got away from them, and Aubrey said she had to go and finish packing.

"And I guess Chloe probably just started packing," Beca said, pulling the door open for her.

"Of course. She was putting an emergency load of laundry on as I left," Aubrey said rolling her eyes.

"Sounds about right," Beca said. "I'll see you both in the morning, ten-thirty."

"Thanks for driving us both to the airport," Aubrey said. "I know you probably would have preferred sleeping in."

"Returning the favor," Beca said. "It's not a problem." They parted ways and Aubrey returned to her dorm, a smile plastered on her face. Chloe was quick to notice, and stopped her panicked last minute attempt to gather her belongings to talk with her.

"So," she said. "You look pretty pleased with something. Chat with Beca went well?"

"Very well," Aubrey said, blushing. "She asked me on a date." Chloe squealed and hugged her best friend hard.

"Bree, I'm so happy for you guys!" Aubrey sank down onto her bed.

"I can't believe a couple of hours ago I was worried that it was just me with a stupid crush and then she asked me out," Aubrey said. "We're going out after I get back from Raleigh."

"Are you nervous?" she asked.

"Not really," Aubrey said. "I mean, we're already pretty close. And she was very sweet."

"What did she say to you?"

"Just that I was important to her, and that she felt like our friendship was changing to a point where she wanted to be more than friends," Aubrey said. "Then we stayed and talked for a while."

"Well she's got a good few days to plan a great first date," Chloe said. "Though she probably knows you well enough to plan a pretty good one anyway." Aubrey smiled and stood up.

"And now I've got something good to look forward to while I'm home with my brothers and dad," she said. "I gotta finish packing. How close are you to being done?"

"Not even close," Chloe said. "I'm considering a lucky dip pack. Grab whatever's clean and buy anything else I need when I get home."

"Which is the same thing you do every time you go home," Aubrey said. "How do you do that?" Chloe just shrugged and stuck a few more random things in her suitcase. Aubrey turned to her own belongings and finished off her packing, wide smile still on her face.

The next morning, Beca picked Chloe and Aubrey up and drove them to the airport, just as Chloe had done for her a few weeks prior. Chloe's flight left almost an hour before Aubrey's, and the redhead left them at the gate with bone-crushing hugs and promises to call on Christmas Day after the Beale family breakfast. As the two girls waited for Aubrey's flight to begin boarding, they drank coffee and chatted about what they'd be doing with their families for Christmas.

"Kimmy Jin going home for Christmas?" Aubrey asked.

"No," Beca sighed. "I was hoping she would, I might be able to relax for five seconds without wondering if I'd committed some cardinal roommate sin or bursting into flames from her laser death glare."

"Stay in our room," Aubrey said. "Not like we're using it."

"You sure?" Beca said.

"Yeah," Aubrey shrugged. "It's not like you aren't camped out with Chloe and I half the time anyway. Plus, I left you a Christmas present in there." She tugged out her keys and separated the dorm key for Beca.

"You didn't have to get me a present," Beca protested.

"It's just something little," Aubrey said dismissively.

"Thanks," Beca said. "For letting me crash. And the present."

"Maybe wait til you open it before you thank me," the blonde replied. The announcement came over the PA for Aubrey's flight to begin boarding. The senior lingered for a moment, not really wanting to leave Beca, when all that was waiting for her was her father and brothers. But she turned to the brunette anyway.

"I'll see you in a couple of days," Beca said. "Call me if you need to explode about your family."

"Oh, I will," Aubrey said. At the last moment, she pulled Beca into a hug, her arms sliding around her shoulders. She felt the brunette's arms around her waist and they stayed like that for a moment. Aubrey pulled away and adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and smiled at Beca as she walked toward the gate.

"Aubrey," Beca called softly. The blonde turned around. "I might have bribed Chloe into sneaking a present into your bag for me." She gave a little wave and let Aubrey leave.

She returned to her dorm and packed a few things so she wouldn't have to suffer Kimmy Jin for any longer than she had to, and made her way to Aubrey and Chloe's room. She dumped her bag onto the floor next to Chloe's bed and texted Cynthia Rose. The two of them had been tossing around plans for getting together with the other girls for Christmas, leaning toward drinks of some kind. When they finished chatting, she pulled out her laptop and headphones and set up camp on Aubrey's bed.

She had no idea how much time had passed, but it was least a couple of hours before her phone vibrated.

_Just thought you might want to know, I found my present. But I'm going to wait until Christmas to open it, if that's okay with you._

Beca smiled.

_Of course. Don't tell me where mine is til Christmas, I won't be able to resist otherwise._

_Deal. Make yourself at home._

_Don't I always? Talk soon._

She ended up ducking out for some dinner, the weather downright miserable. A thick, pelting rain began to fall as she hurried back with her burger and fries, and she was almost completely soaked when she got back. After ditching her food on Chloe's desk, having shielded it as much as possible with her hoodie, she stripped down and pulled some dry sweats on. She ate at the desk, intermittently toweling her hair dry.

When she was done, she climbed into Aubrey's bed, the chill making her tired. She'd never spent the night in Aubrey's bed before. Chloe's bed she'd slept in plenty of times, but never the blonde's. She mixed for a while longer, until she realized she was spending more time rubbing her eyes than looking at the screen. Shutting off the laptop, she finally laid down. The bed smelled like Aubrey, which Beca decided she rather liked. It was part honeysuckle, part shea butter, and it invaded her senses as she burrowed further into the bed, allowing the scent to pull her into sleep.

The next day was Christmas Eve, and she spent it at her dad's, helping them getting ready for Christmas lunch. Sheila was being polite, and Beca found it relatively easy to return the favor. Aubrey called just after lunch, already stressed out by her brothers and their incessant showboating. They spoke for a while, until Aubrey calmed down, and Beca returned to helping her dad and Sheila in the kitchen.

"Somebody special on the phone?" he said.

"What?" Beca asked.

"You're smiling like it was someone important on the phone," he said. "Is it that Jesse kid I see you with so much?" Beca realized for the first time that she'd never actually told her father she was gay.

"No it wasn't Jesse," she said. "He's a friend. But now that you bring it up, it was someone special on the phone. At least, I hope so. We haven't actually gone on a date yet, but we're going out after Christmas."

"Oh really?" he said.

"Yeah," she said. She sat at the counter. "Do you have a minute?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Do you guys want to talk amongst yourselves?" she offered.

"No, it's fine," Beca said. "I just need to explain something that I probably should have explained a long time ago. The person I was talking to on the phone, well, it's a she. I date girls."

"You're gay?" her father asked. He didn't seem mad or upset. Just a little confused.

"Yeah," she said. "I've been pretty comfortable with it for a few years, but it all sort of happened when I wasn't really talking to you. But we're talking now, and it feels like something you should know."

"Thanks for telling me," he said.

"So, who's the girl?" Sheila said. "The girl on the phone?"

"Uh, her name is Aubrey. Dad, you've met her," she said. She was a little taken aback by how casual Sheila was being.

"The blonde? Law major?" he asked. Beca nodded.

"We've been friends for a while, but there's something more there. She's gone home for Christmas and we're going out when she gets back," she explained.

"That sounds nice," her dad said. "If it goes well you should bring her for dinner sometime." He wandered out of the room for a moment, and Beca noticed Sheila was looking at her.

"What?" Beca said.

"Nothing," Sheila said. She shrugged. "I know we're not close, Beca. But it means a lot to me that you would share something that personal with me."

"Oh," Beca said. "No problem. Um… thanks for being cool with it."

"To be truthful, I kind of suspected it," Sheila said. "Nothing specific. I just didn't want to bring it up, you know? It's your business, I figured you'd say something when you were ready."

"You suspected it?"

"My brother's gay," she said simply. "Peter and Noel have been together for eighteen years. Maybe my gaydar, or whatever you call it, is just finely tuned." Beca was surprised. She'd never really talked much about anything with Sheila, and she felt a little bad about it now.

"Maybe," she said. Her dad reappeared and they finished prepping the meal for the next day. Beca farewelled them before driving back to campus and changing into sweats. She talked briefly with Cynthia Rose about the get together the next night, the plan finally being set as drinks and food in her room with the other Bellas who were in town. Then she texted Aubrey.

_How's the family treating you? In other news, I just came out to my dad and Sheila._

Her phone rang almost straight away.

"Are you okay?" Aubrey's voice came.

"Yeah," Beca said, falling onto her bed. "It was surprisingly easy. I was talking to you on the phone and dad wondered if I was talking to someone special – his words – and I told him I was. He suspected it was Jesse, but I told him it was you."

"And he was okay with it?"

"Every time I talk to my dad I feel like he's just happy I'm talking to him at all," Beca said. "I hope you don't mind, though, I told him that I'm taking you out when you get back."

"I don't mind."

"And how are the Posens?"

"Ugh," came the seniors' voice. "I'm getting a three layered lecture on how to pick a good law school. Because clearly I'm a moron who hadn't considered the idea until six months before graduation."

"I'm sure they mean well," Beca said, "But it sucks that they make you feel like that, Bree. What school are you leaning toward?"

"Columbia," came the response. "My dad is probably fine with the idea, it's Ivy League, but he can't get a word in edgeways because Scott and Greg are arguing constantly for Harvard or Yale."

"And why Columbia?" Beca asked.

"Well, it's ranked academically behind Yale and Harvard. But I've been doing my own research, you know. Emailed some alum groups and stuff." Beca wasn't surprised in the slightest. "Columbia is in New York, so it has better access to internships and clerkships, which are a huge part in kick-starting a career. And I kind of like the idea of New York. One guy I emailed said he landed in a firm with a Yale grad. The Yale guy said that all he did in grad school was study, so when it came time to fit work into an actual day to day schedule, with stuff like paying bills and grocery shopping and seeing people, he struggled. Because all there is in New Haven is Yale. But the guy I was talking to said that in New York, that bubble isn't there. It's not a college town. It's a big, huge city that you have to learn to balance your life in. And I feel like that's the kind of place I want to be in." Beca smiled to herself. Of course she could see Aubrey in New York.

"So tell them that," Beca said. "And don't forget, they can talk all they want, but this is your decision. You'd be amazing anywhere, especially Columbia."

"Thanks," Aubrey said softly. "I should probably go, I skipped out on post dinner drinks with some family friends to talk."

"Sure," Beca said. "Call me tomorrow, anytime."

"I will," Aubrey said. "And in case you were wondering, your present is in the third drawer on my desk."

"Talk to you tomorrow," Beca said, hanging up. She crawled into bed with her laptop, intent on working on mixes, but instead she just put it down and lay there. She began thinking about where she would take Aubrey on their first date, and ended up falling asleep with a smile on her face.


	8. Chapter 8

Beca actually managed to sleep in on Christmas Day, which was a welcome change. She only woke to the soft trilling of her phone with a message from Aubrey.

_Merry Christmas Beca. I love the picture, and the music. Thank you._

She'd found a shot of all of the Bellas, in their uniforms, but they were all relaxed and happy. Benji had taken it, and she knew Aubrey had never seen it but that she'd definitely love it. The music she'd passed on were mixes that she had created that were probably more than a little subconsciously about the blonde. Sitting up, she let her eyes fall to Aubrey's desk.

Opening the drawer, she found a box wrapped with a silver bow. She opened it and found a photo in a silver frame. The photo made her eyes tear up and she lifted it out of the tissue paper gently. She didn't know how the blonde had managed it, but she'd somehow taken a photo off of the video they'd watched together of her and her mom. They were side by side and singing, eyes on each other, the happiness on both of their faces undeniable. Beca touched the glass with a fingertip, and dialed Aubrey's cell straight away.

"Hello?" came the senior's voice.

"Bree, that picture," she said. "I can't even… I mean, thank you. How did you even get that? I love it."

"I asked Marina for a copy of the video," Aubrey's voice replied. "I Facebooked her. And I know someone who restores photos, so they were able to fix the color up, get rid of the graininess."

"Aubrey. This means a lot to me," Beca said quietly. "It's probably the best present I've ever gotten."

"I'm glad you like it," she said.

"I really can't wait to see you," the younger girl said.

"Me too. Tell your dad and Sheila I said Merry Christmas."

"I will. I'll see you when your plane gets in," Beca said. She got up and took a long, hot shower, making the most of the fact that campus was almost completely deserted, meaning nobody would care if she used a ton of hot water. Then she packed a few things into her bag and made her way to her dad's house.

The house was warm, which was a blessing, because it was downright freezing outside. Beca hugged her dad and Sheila in turn and then took her coat off and made her way into the kitchen where they were putting the finishing touches on the food. She set the table as they began bringing the food in.

"Dude, did you guys cook enough? I mean, I'm pretty sure you could feed an army on that," Beca said.

"I only know how to cook for big groups," Sheila said. "My mother used to recruit me and my sister for cooking, and there was never any less than nine of us at Christmas Lunch. So I end up cooking way too much but we eat leftovers for a week."

"Leftovers are the best part," her dad said. "Nothing like turkey sandwiches with extra gravy. And pudding. You should take some with you, save you having to find the few places that are open the next couple days."

"That'd be great," Beca said. "I'm crashing in Aubrey and Chloe's room, they have a little fridge in there, and a microwave."

"Not staying in your room?"

"My roommate is on campus over the holidays," Beca said. "She's kinda hostile."

"Kimmy Jin, right?" her dad asked. "She didn't seem overly friendly when I met her, if I recall."

"I've tried, she's just not that interested," Beca shrugged. "It's okay. I spend most of my time with Chloe and Bree, or Stacie and Cynthia Rose." They sat down to a full table of food, and Beca's father gave a short blessing before they began to eat.

Beca actually found herself having a good time. After they ate, they exchanged gifts and Beca's dad even poured her some wine as they let the food settle. Her dad drove her back to campus, promising to drop her car off the next day instead of having her drive even a little under the influence. She called her Aunt Marina, then Chloe, and then headed to Stacie's dorm common room for the arranged Bellas Booze-a-thon, as Amy had christened it.

It was good to catch up with the girls outside of Bellas, and she made a note to try and do it more often. She wasn't drinking nearly as much as Stacie and Amy though, more observing their antics with mild amusement.

Sometime around midnight, she was trying to locate some dip for the chips, and Cynthia Rose pulled her aside. She hadn't told the other girl about the development between her and Aubrey yet, but had indicated that she wanted to catch up with her and fill her in.

"So," Cynthia Rose said. "Any news for me?"

"Yeah," Beca said. She glanced around. She wasn't really aiming to hide what might be going on between them, but having Amy be one of the first people to find out before it had even begun would be interesting to say the least. "I – uh – asked her on a date. She seemed really into it, so we're going out the day after she gets back."

"That's some good news, B," she said. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, man," she said. "I think I've got a pretty good date planned, too, if everything comes together."

"So, you better let me know how that goes," she said. "I'm invested now."

"Invested in what?" Stacie said, coming up with a beer in each hand for them.

"New mix," Cynthia Rose said expertly. "She's been telling me about it for a week, and I just gotta hear it."

"I think we could all do with hearing some more of your work," Stacie said.

"It's almost done, I swear," she said, shooting a grateful look at Cynthia Rose. They both took the beers and headed back to the couches were Ashley was laughing outrageously at something Amy was saying. They ended the night spread all over Stacie's dorm room in a nest of blankets and pillows, thought it was closer to morning by the time they all settled down.

They all woke late the next day, in varying stages of hangover. After showers and large doses of aspirin they ate breakfast together and parted ways. Beca went to go tidy Chloe and Aubrey's room – not that she'd trashed it, it was just that her things were starting to spread across the room. After that, she fielded a call from Jesse who wanted to catch up when they got back and mentioned the possibility of a New Years party, which Beca said she couldn't handle talking about until she was done dealing with her current hangover.

She was working on mixes when her dad and Sheila dropped by to return her car, both of them coming so her dad didn't have to take a cab back. She showed them what she was working on, and they both seemed genuinely interested and impressed. After they left she ate some leftover Christmas food and texted Aubrey to confirm that her flight details hadn't been changed. The blonde had called her and they chatted for awhile about nothing in particular, but Beca could feel the smile on her face after she hung up.

The next day, Beca was perched on a railing in the arrivals lounge that any normal sized person would have problems staying put on, but her tiny frame handled well. She saw the blonde hair she was looking for coming through the gate and grinned. Aubrey's eyes scanned the room and landed on her, her own smile matching Beca's. Beca made her way toward her, hands shoved into her pockets. When she reached the blonde, she wrapped her arms around her.

"Welcome back," she said.

"It's good to be back," she said. "Thanks for picking me up."

"My pleasure," she said. "Was the flight okay?" She went to take the handle of Aubrey's bag.

"Not too bad," Aubrey said, smacking her hand away. Beca shot her a look and took the handle anyway, rolling it behind her. Aubrey smiled a little to herself at Beca's chivalry.

"How did you end up faring in the great law school debate?" Beca asked.

"I'm pretty sure I won," Aubrey said. "I was talking to my dad without the boys, and I explained my reasoning. He said it was solid logic, so Columbia would be a great choice. I'm not dumb though, I'm still applying everywhere."

"Columbia would be lucky to have you," Beca said. "So would Harvard or Yale, for that matter. I'm just glad your dad supports your decision."

They stopped for burgers on the way back to Barden, and Beca mentioned that Jesse was thinking about a New Years party. Aubrey said Chloe had mentioned something similar, so it might make sense just to throw one big party and invite everyone. The brunette was glad that even with their date pending for the following day, nothing had gotten tense or awkward between them, in fact, things were as easy as they ever were. Aubrey invited her to crash in Chloe's bed for the night, but Beca declined. She needed clean clothes and she also wanted to finish organizing their date for the next day. Aubrey didn't mind, and Beca promised to call or text with the details for the next day.

She spent a lot of the next day acquiring a few of the items she needed, Cynthia Rose helping her set a few things up, and asking her father how bad it might hypothetically be if one was caught on the rooftop of a closed faculty building during Christmas break. He began to ask questions but changed his mind as long as she swore that she left the building looking as if she'd never been there. Beca acquiesced to the promise.

She had texted Aubrey to tell her to be ready at six thirty and wear something warm, and when she knocked on Aubrey's door she found the blonde ready to go in a warm jacket and a scarf. Beca herself had also donned a thick jacket and a knitted beanie. Aubrey quirked an eyebrow when she saw it.

"Cute beanie," she said.

"I know," Beca said cockily. "Seriously, it might get cold, though. You gonna be warm enough?"

"I don't really feel the cold quite so much," Aubrey said.

"Okay then," Beca said. "You do look beautiful, by the way. Are you ready to go?" Aubrey nodded and blushed a little at the compliment. She followed Beca, giving up on asking where they were going when it became clear that the brunette wasn't going to answer.

"Now I know this looks suspicious," Beca said as they approached the English building, "but I have a very loose understanding that what we're doing isn't exactly against the rules."

"Why does that mildly worry me?" Aubrey asked.

"I swear it's okay," Beca said. "I just wanted somewhere… perfect for what I wanted." She used the janitor's door – one of her tasks earlier that day was opening a window so she could climb in and unlock it – and took Aubrey to the stairwell to the roof.

Aubrey was impressed. She didn't know exactly how Beca had managed it, but one end of the roof, the end that overlooked the athletics fields, was strung with softly twinkling lights. She could see what looked like a patio swing absolutely drowning in blankets and a picnic basket.

"Wow, Beca," she said. "How did you –"

"My charming nature and bribery," Beca said. "I wanted somewhere quiet. Because I heard it, all those times you said that everywhere on campus was too noisy for you to think straight, even the library."

"So you thought you'd rig up the rooftop with lights and a romantic picnic?" Aubrey said. Beca shrugged.

"If it's too quiet, I brought some music as well," Beca said. "I just want to spend some time alone with you, somewhere we can pretend that Barden, in all of its scholarly glory, doesn't matter."

"I love it," the blonde responded. "It's perfect." They went and got themselves comfortable on the patio swing, burying themselves under all the blankets until the winter chill was no longer noticeable. Then they ate the picnic that Beca had prepared ahead of time together, talking quietly. After they'd finished eating, Beca put some music on quietly and they swung back and forth in the swing, looking out over the dark and quiet far side of campus.

Aubrey found herself reaching out and taking Beca's hand in her own before long, the brunette's cold fingers curling against her own. They were barely even talking any more, just sitting together. As if some force were drawing them closer together, their bodies inched closer until Aubrey hooked a leg over Beca's lap. Beca looked up at the blonde, not able to tell if the pink of her cheeks was from the cold or their proximity to one another.

"You're not too cold?" she asked softly, pulling the blankets tighter around them. Aubrey just shook her head.

"Not even a little," she said. "Beca, this has been an almost perfect first date."

"Almost?" Beca asked. Aubrey's blush deepened and she bit her lip. Her hand found the side of Beca's face, their eyes locking before she gently brought their mouths together.

Despite the cold, Beca's lips were warm against hers. The younger girl pulled back for a split second before leaning in again. This time it was longer, Beca's tongue pushing at her lower lip until Aubrey allowed it to slide past. As the kiss deepened, she felt Beca's hand on the back of her neck and leaned a little further into her. Her own hand slid down to the front of Beca's jacket, grabbing the collar softly.

Beca was enjoying the kiss, a lot. She and Aubrey had talked about the sorts of experiences they'd had up until this point, and Aubrey had confessed that a lot of her kisses were drunken fumblings or awkward mistakes. It seemed a shame, because the senior was definitely a good kisser. She didn't want to stop kissing her, frankly, but knew that if they didn't keep it fairly tame it would end up being something neither of them were ready for so early in their possible relationship.

She pulled back, leaving a last soft kiss on Aubrey's lips. The blonde's fingers brushed the underside of her jaw softly, and the smile on her face was almost shy now. They didn't say anything, words were completely unnecessary, just curled up against each other again and looked back out into the dark, not feeling the cold at all.

Time passed, neither of them realizing just how much until Beca glanced at her watch and saw that it was almost midnight.

"Crap," she said. "Bree, it's almost midnight."

"No way," the blonde said. Beca held up her watch. "It does not feel like we were here that long."

"I know," Beca agreed. "Let me walk you back to your room."

"What about all this stuff?" she replied, gesturing around at their surroundings.

"That's tomorrow's problem," she said. "I'll have it all taken care of by the time we have to leave to go get Chloe from the airport."

"Even if I suggest that we leave early so we can grab lunch somewhere?" Aubrey asked. Beca kissed her lips softly.

"Yeah, even then," she said. "I'll call you when I'm done." They got up and Beca made sure everything was unplugged and okay to leave overnight. Then they walked hand in hand back to Aubrey's dorm, where they shared a goodnight kiss before Beca headed back to her own dorm. Aubrey went straight inside, smile plastered on her face and even though it was late, she pulled her cellphone out. There were four texts from Chloe on her phone, all increasingly curious about how the date was going. The last one was just a row of question marks and exclamation marks. She tapped out a reply.

_Best date I've ever been on. Tell you more tomorrow._


	9. Chapter 9

Beca got back to her own dorm, sporting a stupid smile on her face. It earned her a glare from Kimmy Jin but she was in too good a mood to let it affect her. Even though it was late, she replayed the date over and over in her head before she fell asleep.

Aubrey was doing a similar thing, replaying the night over and over. She definitely would not have pegged Beca for a romantic, but she was happy to be proved wrong. Sure, she was still sarcastic and snarky as they chatted during the night, but the sensitive side of Beca was just as amazing as the brash, assertive side. She was an interesting dichotomy.

In the morning, Chloe managed to wait until seven am before calling Aubrey. Aubrey woke up groggily, and answered the phone with her eyes barely open, still buried in her blankets.

"Chloe, it's seven in the morning. And a vacation day," she huffed.

"I know, but I have to be at the airport in two and a half hours and I still need to hear all about this date," she said. "Spill." So Aubrey told her about the date, what Beca had organized and how nice it was to just sit there with her, sometimes talking and sometimes not. And of course, Chloe being Chloe, she did ask whether they had kissed and after Aubrey had told her it was none of her business, she admitted that they had.

"So is this like a you guys are dating thing now?" Chloe asked.

"I hope so," Aubrey said. "We didn't have a specific conversation about it. But we're having lunch before we pick you up."

"That's pretty adorable," Chloe said. "I'm happy for you guys. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Yeah, see you then." She lay in bed for a few more moments before figuring she probably needed to get up.

It was a few hours later that Beca knocked on her door. When she opened it, the brunette was leaning casually against the doorframe, hands buried deep in her pockets. Her cheeks were pink from the cold outside, the same beanie as last night jammed on her curly long hair.

"Hey," Beca said. "Hope I'm not too early."

"No, come in. I just want to change into some jeans, it got cold," Aubrey said.

"Yeah it was fucking freezing this morning. I had to buy CR two cups of coffee after she helped me bring all my crap down from the roof," the brunette responded.

"I talked to Chloe this morning," Aubrey said as she pulled some jeans out. Beca turned to give her some privacy. "She texted me four times while we were out, and she called me at the crack of dawn. Lucky she's my best friend or I would have killed her."

"I figured she'd call you," Beca said. "CR was on my case this morning. She knows what's going on." Aubrey tugged the jeans on and slid into some flats before grabbing a jacket and her purse.

"What did you tell her?" she asked, pulling the door closed behind them.

"Just that we went out and I had a fantastic time, and that I really want to do it again," Beca said. "She's keeping a lid on it. I didn't even ask her to, she just said it was our business and it wasn't her place to tell all the girls. What'd you tell Chloe?" Aubrey took her hand lightly as they walked toward the car.

"That it was probably the best date I've ever been on," Aubrey said honestly. "And that I was looking forward to seeing you again today."

"Best date you've ever been on?" Beca said with a hint of her trademark smirk.

"Yeah," Aubrey said reluctantly. "You really know me, you planned something quiet and intimate, which I loved." She pulled Beca toward her, leaning back on the car and kissed her. Beca stepped in and kept it going, trapping her against the door for a moment. It was just as good as their kisses the previous night. Eventually Beca pulled away, a content smile on her face.

"We should probably get going," she said. "I don't think we need to be giving a free show away to anyone who might be walking past the parking lot right now." Aubrey nodded and slid into the car. She was going to drive on the way there, and Beca would drive on the way back because Chloe would naturally be catching up with Aubrey. They'd just navigated their way off of campus when Beca's phone buzzed. It was from Stacie. When she opened it, it was a photo of her and Aubrey mid embrace against the car just moments ago, captioned with _Care to explain this, ladies?_

"Bree?" Beca said. "Stacie just texted me a photo of us making out."

"What?" Aubrey said. "When?"

"Just now, of us about ten minutes ago," she said. "Looks like I wasn't wrong about giving a free show." Aubrey drove on for a moment, a look of processing on her face. Beca didn't say anything, she just waited it out. She knew Aubrey had to deal with things cerebrally. After some silence, she just shrugged.

"Okay," she said.

"Okay?" Beca queried.

"Okay," Aubrey repeated. "Firstly, it's already done. She's seen us, and she has a photo. There's no point denying anything. Secondly, I don't regret kissing you. Not in the slightest. I imagine there'll be a lot more kissing involved, at least if I have a say there will be."

"So what do I tell Stacie?"

"Tell her whatever you like, but ask her to try and sit on it til we at least get back to campus?" Aubrey said. Beca nodded and texted back.

_Explain? You should know kissing when you see it Conrad._

She awaited what she was sure would be an impatient response. And she wasn't disappointed with Stacie's reply.

_BECA FUCKING MITCHELL. YOU TELL ME WHAT THIS IS OR I TEXT IT TO AMY._

That was probably the one thing they didn't want, since if Amy found out it would no doubt be global knowledge by the time they got back to campus.

_Yes, that's me and Aubrey. We went out last night and we're going out now before we pick Chlo up at the airport. No official status yet, so it's on the DL for now, please._

_Sure._

Stacie's text was immediately followed by another.

_And get it girl! Damn._

Beca rolled her eyes, but was smiling. They drove into the city in relative silence, occasionally singing along to the radio. It was comfortable and quiet, and Beca kept glancing over at the blonde in the drivers seat. Aubrey was paying careful attention to the road, obviously, and she was oblivious to the fact that her passenger could barely keep her eyes off of her.

They arrived in the city with plenty of time to kill, and ended up wandering through a mall for a while, not that either of them actually needed to buy anything. Beca wasn't typically a window-shopping kind of girl, she was more of a get in and get what you need, but she didn't mind tagging along with Aubrey. And Aubrey was considerate enough to take her into stores that she might like as well, Beca drooling over some mixing equipment in a music store for a solid half hour.

Aubrey chose their restaurant for lunch, since Beca didn't know the area quite so well, and wouldn't compromise on paying. Her argument was steadfast – Beca organised their first date, so this one was on her. They sat opposite each other in a booth, carrying conversation as they waited for their food. The conversation was mainly about how the Bellas were going to fare in the rest of the ICCA performances for the season. Beca had been trying for months to get Aubrey to consider changing the set list, to no avail. She wouldn't call it arguing, but both of them were definitely putting up passionate defences for their views. Aubrey appreciated having someone who felt equally as strongly as she did and was able to articulate it without screaming. And even if they never saw eye to eye, it didn't affect anything else they talked about. It was just as the waiter had set their coffee down that Beca realised Aubrey was staring at her thoughtfully.

"What?" she said. "You're staring."

"Yeah." She paused. "I know this only counts as our second date, Beca. But I kind of want to know how you feel about this. Like, are we dating?" Beca brought her mug to her lips. One of the things she liked most about Aubrey was that she was direct and to the point.

"Well," Beca said, swallowing her coffee, "I'd really like for us to be dating. Because I'd say last night was a success, and so was lunch. And we even seem to able to disagree with each other, but still stay sitting here at the table together. I think we're a good match, Bree. What about you?"

"I think we're a good match, too," she said. She took Beca's hand, stilling fingers that had been drumming against the tabletop. "I'd like to be able to call you my girlfriend, if that's okay with you."

"It's like, way more than okay," Beca said, looking down at their hands. "I get to call you, this foxy as hell senior, my girlfriend? Sign me up." Aubrey rolled her eyes.

"Foxy as hell?"

"You've seen you, right?" Beca said. "Or if you'd rather I was a little more eloquent, I'd say gorgeous, classy and beautiful. Better?"

"A little," Aubrey teased. "Come on, we gotta go soon or we'll be late." They finished up and settled the bill, and made their way to the airport to wait for Chloe.

When the redhead saw the two of them waiting on chairs in arrivals, Beca's knees tucked up on the chair in front of her – only possible because she was so tiny – and Aubrey's hand in hers, she grinned.

"Well, then, you two," she said, after releasing them from a bone-crushing hug. "This looks like the dating thing is going well. Wait. You are dating, right?"

"Yeah," Beca said, shooting a smile at the blonde. "We're dating." Chloe immediately engaged Aubrey in breakneck chatter about what the family was up to, and the only time the two of them stopped was when they realised Beca had angled them towards Starbucks and they placed their orders. She shook her head. Sure, she was good friends with Chloe, too, but this kind of mile a minute talking was making her head spin, so she chose to focus instead on her coffee.

Once they were back in the car on the way to Barden, Beca brought up that Jesse and Chloe had both mentioned having a New Years party, and suggested they just throw one together, since they were likely going to be inviting the same kinds of people. Chloe loved the idea and immediately asked Beca for Jesse's number so she could call and start making plans. She tossed her phone to Chloe, who was in the backseat, and kept focused on driving. The weather had gotten worse, so she was being a little more careful than normal.

By the time they actually got back to campus, Chloe and Jesse had almost organised an entire New Years event. As Chloe pulled her bag out of the car, Aubrey came and took Beca's hand.

"Look at it this way," Aubrey said. "You don't have to plan or do a single thing. Those two have it under control. All you have to do is show up, drink a little, dance, and kiss me at midnight."

"So cute," Chloe said, wrinkling her nose at them.

"Chlo," Beca groaned.

"What? It is. You two are both these hard headed, strong women but right now you're acting soft and squishy with each other. It's adorable," she said. "I don't care if you try to deny it."

"I gotta go," Beca said. "I promised Luke I'd have some new mixes done by the time term started up. Coffee in the morning?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice," she said. "Call me when you wake up." Beca kissed her on the cheek.

"Sure," she promised. "See ya, Chlo."

"Thanks for the ride, Beca," she said. "I'll probably see you tomorrow, if not, I'll see you for New Years."

"I'll be there." The brunette pulled her coat tight her around her body and hurried back to her room. Kimmy Jin was there, and she shot a glare toward the brunette as she came in. Beca just rolled her eyes and tugged her jacket off, throwing on a thick hoodie and setting herself up for an afternoon of mixing.

Cynthia Rose and Stacie dropped by later that evening with Chinese food and Kimmy Jin practically bolted from the room, even as Stacie made a sarcastic comment about her staying for dinner. They ate sprawled across the floor, Beca playing the mixes she'd been working on. Before long, talk naturally turned to Beca and Aubrey.

"So that thing I texted you about before," Stacie said. "How did that go?"

"What thing?" Cynthia Rose asked.

"It's cool," Beca said to Stacie. "CR already knows, I recruited her for some wingman duties. Stace caught us making out against Bree's car this morning."

"She did?!"

"Yep," Stacie said. "Snapped a photo and texted it to her. So the deal with you two is what exactly?"

"We're dating," she said. "That's the official line."

"Aw, yeah," Cynthia Rose said.

"How did this even happen?" Stacie asked. Beca shrugged and tossed her a fortune cookie.

"Been spending a lot of time with her," Beca said. "And the more time we spent together, the more we wanted to spend together. It feels comfortable."

"So it's not, like, a secret or anything?" Stacie said.

"Not really," she said. "I kind of wanted to talk about it with her first, and we did that over lunch, so it's all good now."

"What did you do for your first date?" Stacie said. Beca explained the date to Stacie, leaving out the more intimate details, and the taller girl was impressed. "You've got some moves, Mitchell." Beca just tossed a pillow at her, before talk turned to New Years.


	10. Chapter 10

The Trebles had said it was okay for the party to be at the Treble house, which was good because the only other option that would have been big enough was the empty pool. It was plenty big enough but not the ideal place for a party in the middle of winter.

So Aubrey and Beca arrived at the Treble house hand in hand after the party was well underway. They immediately were set upon by the Bellas, who were mostly exclaiming about the fact that the two of them were together. Neither of them was planning on drinking much that night, but they did take a drink each while they talked with their friends. Beca spotted Jesse talking with Ashley and Unicycle, and then leaned down and told Aubrey she'd be back in a second.

"Hey," she said to Jesse as Ashley made her way to the Bellas. "Got a sec?"

"Oh, yeah," he said. "What's up?" They were leaning against a wall in the corner of the room.

"You know how we're good friends and everything," she said, "I just wanted to let you know, before you heard it from someone else. Remember how I said that I was sort of into someone?"

"Yeah," he said.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm dating that person now," she said. "And that it's Aubrey." Jesse almost choked on his beer.

"Aubrey Posen, Aubrey?" he asked. "Dude."

"Yeah," she said. "We've only seen each other a couple of times, but it feels good, Jess. It feels right."

"Aubrey Posen?" he repeated.

"Yes," she said, elbowing him. "She makes me happy, quit being a bonehead."

"Well, as long as you're happy," he said. "Good for you."

"Thanks," she said. She let her eyes fall on the blonde who was currently listening to whatever story Amy was telling the group. She smiled, and Aubrey looked up, then got up and joined her as Jesse made his way toward the kegs.

"What are you looking at with that smile on your face?" she asked.

"Just you," she said. "You look really beautiful tonight." Aubrey blushed pink and leaned against the wall, fingers toying with the zip of Beca's jacket as they talked. Chloe was watching with the other Bellas, parked on some couches, as the two girls became more and more oblivious to what was going on around them.

"How adorable are they?" she said to Stacie. Beca was pushing hair out of Aubrey's face, their eyes locked together.

"It's pretty cute to watch," Stacie agreed. "I wouldn't think either of them would be the mushy type, but they both look at each other like…" Now they were kissing each other, pretty tamely since they were in full view of the party, but it was enough that the girls stopped looking because it felt like a privacy invasion.

"I know," Chloe said. "But I think they really work. Yesterday we had coffee and they bickered about the set list for Bellas like you would not believe, but then they moved on to something else and you could tell they weren't mad at each other in the slightest. And when we all got up to leave Beca just tucked a flash drive into Bree's jeans and kissed her and that was the end of it."

"It's weird," Amy said. "Not in a bad way. But like, you would never have thought the two of them would be any good together, but when you see it you realize they make perfect sense."

"I bet Jessica twenty bucks at the start of the year they'd end up together," Ashley said. They all turned and stared. "What? I just knew."

"It's true," Jessica said. "It was the second day of rehearsals."

"It's pretty simple," Ashley said. "They're really similar in a lot of ways, but different in a lot of other ways. Their similarities are what make the common ground that draw them together, but the differences are what they need in each other. Beca will help Aubrey relax, Aubrey will help her focus. Beca will teach Aubrey how to shoot from the hip; Aubrey will teach her that it doesn't hurt to be prepared. And they both needed someone equally as strong themselves to give them a challenge, because that's what they thrive on."

"What the hell?" Amy said. "Where have you been hiding all this information?"

"I'm just observant," Ashley said. "And maybe my dad is a psychologist and my mom's a behavioral scientist."

"We wondered if there was something there earlier in the year," Stacie reminded Chloe. "Remember? But we figured they'd have to get there on their own." Chloe nodded and the group moved on to another subject, and a new round of drinks. Beca and Aubrey stayed against the wall for a few moments longer, enjoying the quiet moment they'd managed to steal in a crowded party.

The night wore on and Beca delivered on her promise to dance with Aubrey, actually enjoying being able to have her hands on the blonde in that way, and also catching up with the rest of the girls, who had made it back for New Years. The relationship between her and Aubrey wasn't being discussed a great deal any more, except for brief mentions of how happy they looked and some gentle teasing from Stacie about the car, but that was to be expected.

As it approached midnight, Aubrey pulled Beca outside. Sure it was cold, but it was also a lot more deserted than inside, and she would much rather that they have this moment alone. Beca's arms slid around Aubrey's waist, the embrace warming both of them a little more as they listened to the party going on inside, waiting for the countdown to midnight. When the people inside began counting down – Beca could swear Jesse and Benji started at thirty, which seemed excessive – the two girls pulled apart so they could see each other.

"This feels like the perfect way to ring in the New Year," Aubrey said.

"For me, too," Beca said. The countdown dragged on, and once it hit midnight, Beca softly murmured 'Happy New Year' to Aubrey before she kissed her. Aubrey's arms were holding her close, and the kiss grew intense pretty quickly. She didn't even realize her hands were up the back of Aubrey's shirt until the blonde shivered from the cold.

"Shit, sorry," Beca said. "I guess I got a little carried away."

"I didn't mind," Aubrey said. "Or maybe I wouldn't have if it wasn't arctic out here."

"Let's go back inside," Beca offered. Aubrey shook her head, and Beca looked at her, puzzled.

"Let's go back to my room," Aubrey said. "We'll be warm and we'll also be alone."

"Are you sure?" Beca asked. "We don't have to-"

"I know," Aubrey said. "And honestly, I'm not giving it up quite that easy. I just really like the idea of doing some more of that, but somewhere warmer." Beca pecked her lips quickly and dashed inside to grab their coats without being seen. They walked back across campus to Aubrey's dorm room, where they quickly kicked off their shoes and tugged off their coats. The dorm was infinitely warmer than outside, and they fell on the bed together.

Somehow Beca found herself pinned under the blonde, who was gently running her fingertips down the side of her face, other arm supporting her. She felt comfortable under Aubrey's gaze, which was something, because she'd been on the end of some pretty lethal glares from the blonde before. She bit down on her lip, and Aubrey's thumb moved to her mouth. She brushed it along her lower lip softly.

"God you're gorgeous," she said. She leaned down and kissed her, Beca's arms wrapping around her neck. It wasn't long before the embrace turned heated, and Beca's hands were back under Aubrey's shirt. The blonde mumbled something incoherent against her mouth as they smoothed up and down her skin. Beca rolled them over and affixed her lips to Aubrey's neck as she let a palm drift up her ribcage. It stopped just a fraction short of the satin and lace of her bra, the brunette choosing to wait for a signal to continue. Aubrey's hands had previously been on her hips, pulling her closer, but one gently came to rest on Beca's, pushing it up that last little bit. Beca paused for a second.

"It's okay," Aubrey breathed into her ear. "I want you to stay tonight. Not – you know, but just… don't stop yet."

"You tell me when I get to the line," she said. Aubrey nodded and tucked her fingertips into the waist of Beca's jeans. They didn't waste time getting into their make-out session, before long they had discarded their jeans and bras, though their shirts were still on. Beca was turned on beyond belief. Aubrey's skin was flawlessly smooth and she was toned as hell from all of her Pilates and running. Aubrey couldn't get over the way Beca kissed her and touched her. Her hands moved tenderly but they were firm. They were pressed together, legs tangled, and Beca knew she had to stop, or she wouldn't be able to. Aubrey currently had her pinned to the bed and was leaving one more in a line of hickeys on Beca's body.

"Bree," she said, as the blonde's mouth bit and sucked at a spot on her collarbone. "I think maybe we should cool it a bit." She swallowed hard as her body begged her to let the blonde continue.

"What?" Aubrey said.

"If we don't pull it back, I'm going to find it really hard to stop," she admitted. Aubrey brushed a soft kiss to her lips and slid off her body, pressing their foreheads together.

"Okay," she said. "Good idea." They both fell silent for a moment as their breathing evened out.

"You okay?" Beca asked. Aubrey nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "Just – remember when I said I was still figuring out what I liked? I liked that a lot."

"So did I," Beca agreed.

"But I'm glad you stopped us," Aubrey continued. "I think I need a little more time before we go further." Beca smiled at her and kissed her temple.

"I know. Me too. I mean we could have just kept going but I'd rather wait a little longer. I'm sure the build up is going to be worth it, if that was anything to go by."

"I still want you to stay, though," Aubrey said. "Chloe's staying with Stacie tonight, so we don't have to worry about anyone interrupting us." Beca just pulled Aubrey's arm around her and snuggled into her body.

"Sounds good to me," she said. "Do you have anywhere you need to be in the morning?"

"Not really," Aubrey said. "I was planning on getting a head start on some reading, but it can wait."

"Good," Beca said. "We're sleeping late, and we're totally not putting pants on until someone makes us."

"How will we get coffee if we stay in bed with no pants on?" Aubrey demanded, a tone of teasing in her voice.

"We text Chloe and tell her to make sure she brings some home," Beca said. "Don't worry, I've thought it through." She felt Aubrey's legs tangle back together with hers.

"You really have," Aubrey said. She kissed a spot below Beca's ear. "But now, sleep." Beca didn't need to be told twice, the proximity to the blonde's warm body and the comfort of their entwined legs was already making her drowsy. She could feel the blonde's heartbeat through her chest, a steady thump against her ear, and couldn't help but notice how good it felt to be this close to someone again.

When she woke the next morning, it was to Aubrey's fingers lightly drawing on her shoulder. She murmured something unintelligible and rolled her body into the blonde's. Aubrey's arm hooked around her, holding her close as she nuzzled into Beca's hair. Neither of them spoke for a few moments.

"Morning," Beca mumbled eventually. "Have you been awake long?"

"Nope," Aubrey said. "Maybe ten minutes. But I kind of like just laying here with you, to be honest." Beca slid up and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Yeah, me too." She felt around for Aubrey's hand and squeezed her fingers. "You still okay about last night? I don't want us to move too fast for you."

"No, I'm fine. Like I said, I really enjoyed it," Aubrey said. "But thanks for being so concerned. It's sort of cute."

"Cute? Of all the words you could pick, you went with cute?" Beca pouted.

"Adorable?"

"God that's just as bad," she said.

"Chivalrous?" Aubrey offered. Beca relented. "I do have a question for you, though, if you don't mind answering personal things."

"Go for it," Beca said.

"Well, you know the extent of what I've done, or what I haven't done to be more specific, but what about you? How much… experience have you had?" she asked, a little nervously.

"Well," Beca said. "I've slept with two other girls. One was a girlfriend, her name was Skye, and we were together just over a year. The other was Holly, she was not my girlfriend, but we hooked up on and off over a summer. It was an interesting summer, I learned a lot about what my particular tastes are."

"What do you mean?"

"You know. I don't mind a little biting and whatnot, I'm not averse to some tying up, but I'm not really into violent sex. I have a weakness for women in suits, definitely, pants or skirt. And as fantastic as sex is, sometimes a well-executed make-out session is just as good," Beca said. "Which is lucky for me, because you are a really good kisser."

"Women in suits?" Aubrey teased.

"God yeah," Beca said.

"That sounds like something that could be arranged," she said. Beca just leaned up and kissed her. They would have gotten carried away if Aubrey's phone hadn't buzzed. It was just Chloe.

_Heads up – on my way back._

"Chloe's on her way back," Aubrey said.

"Text her and get her to bring us coffee," Beca said. "I wasn't joking about that last night." Aubrey rolled her eyes but texted Chloe anyway, the redhead confirming she'd bring back coffee for both of them. When she arrived, they were sitting up side by side, looking at photos from the party last night that Amy had somehow already gotten up on Facebook. Chloe handed the two of them their coffee, and then her jaw dropped.

"You guys?" she said. "Did I interrupt something by coming home?"

"No," Aubrey said, confused. "Seriously, Chlo, we've been checking out party photos for a while now."

"So the hickeys all over Beca's neck and shoulders…" she said.

"Oh," Beca said, touching her neck. "Completely forgot about those. But no, you're not interrupting, promise."

"You sure?" she said.

"Yes," Aubrey said. "Come look at photos." Chloe perched on the edge of the bed to scroll through the photos with them. She didn't miss the way her two best friends were acting, they were perfectly comfortable with each other, and they both looked happy in each other's space.


	11. Chapter 11

School started up again without incident, for Beca at least. Aubrey was a different matter all together. She'd thrown herself into completing her postgrad applications in the first month back. She was still gunning for Columbia, but didn't want to limit herself or be unprepared for the worst case, so she had a pile of work to do. She was meeting it full throttle, and Beca was worried about her. She still saw the blonde a lot, but she was starting to get dark circles under her eyes and she just knew she wasn't taking proper care of herself.

She'd texted her girlfriend to ask how she was doing late one Friday night, and all she received back was a _Fine._ Beca then called Chloe.

"Are you with Bree?" she asked.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I was gonna try get to bed soon though. She's been chained to her desk since I got home."

"Is she okay? I've got this suspicion she hasn't moved from her desk all day and hasn't eaten anything substantial," Beca said, a little worried.

"I think she had a protein bar at like, seven," Chloe said. "Other than that it's been Red Bull, I think." Beca sighed.

"I know it's late," she said, "But I'm on my way over. I'll try not to wake you."

"You're fine," Chloe said. "I wanna take a shower first anyway."

Beca had to make a quick stop on her way, but it still wasn't too long before she was opening the door to Chloe and Aubrey's room. Aubrey was hunched over her laptop, wastebasket half full of crushed Red Bull cans and discarded paper, her shoulders obviously tense.

"Hey," she said quietly. Aubrey turned around. Her eyes had the glaze of someone who hadn't seen natural light for hours, and she looked tired and stressed.

"Hey Beca," the blonde said. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping you take care of yourself properly," Beca said. "I know you're working really hard, and I know this is important to you, but not eating and not sleeping isn't going to help. So I'm here to de-stress you."

"That's really sweet of you," Aubrey said, "but I have-"

"Nope," Beca said. "One hour, I promise. Besides, being tired and hungry isn't going to help you produce your best work." Aubrey cast a glance back at her screen, and hit save on her computer. She tugged a hoodie on and walked over to Beca, pulling her into a hug. Chloe returned from her shower at that moment.

"Hey," Beca said to her. "I'm stealing Aubrey for an hour, but I'll keep it quiet when she comes back in, I promise."

"Okay," Chloe sing-songed. "I'm actually impressed you managed to pull her away from her desk."

"I have many awesome powers," Beca responded with a smirk. She led Aubrey outside and they sat on the grass under a tree. Beca had stopped by one of the few places open late on campus and convinced a friend of hers and Jesse's who worked there to make up a couple of sandwiches, and brought them with her, along with some juice and a brownie.

"I ate earlier," she said, "but I know you didn't. So eat now."

"It's late, I shouldn't," Aubrey protested, only to be silenced when her stomach let out a growl. "Or maybe I should." She ate as if she'd missed every meal for a week, and then moved to get up.

"No way," Beca said, tugging her back down. "I've still got like, forty five minutes." She pulled Aubrey in between her legs as she sat against the tree trunk, her hands untying the blonde's tight ponytail and lightly massaging her scalp. The senior immediately relaxed in her arms, her eyes falling closed.

"God that feels good," she said.

"Promise me you'll take better care of yourself," Beca said. "Get enough rest, food, and for god sakes drink some water instead of Red Bull."

"I will, I swear," Aubrey said. "And thanks. I really needed this."

"I know you did," the freshman said. She kept her fingers moving, gently massaging as she began to hum lightly. Aubrey forgot about her applications, forgot about everything except sitting under the tree with her girlfriend. She felt happy and calm and relaxed, a rarity in her life. Beca was exactly what she needed, and exactly what she wanted.

"I love you," she said quietly, without realizing what she was doing. Her body stiffened immediately; she expected Beca to freeze or pull away. But the brunette's fingers didn't still for a second, she just brushed a kiss to Aubrey's hairline somewhere near her temple.

"Yeah, well, I love you, too." The smaller girl said it softly, but she still said it. Aubrey relaxed again, losing track of time until Beca told her it was just after midnight.

"We've been down here for an hour, like I promised," she said. "You can finish your work now, but I'd honestly rather it if you got some sleep."

"I'll compromise," Aubrey said. "I'll get some sleep if you stay the night."

"Of course," Beca said. She went back up to Aubrey's room with her, where they both peeled off their clothing and crawled into bed as quietly as possible, so they didn't disturb Chloe, who was already sleeping.

"Thanks for taking care of me," Aubrey said to Beca softly, wrapping her arm around her waist. Beca lay there for a moment, before she said something in return.

"Just so you know," she almost whispered, "I meant it when I said it back. That I love you." Aubrey turned her over and kissed her tenderly.

"And I meant it when I said it," Aubrey said in equally quiet tones. Their faces were still pressed close together when they fell asleep.

The next few weeks went by blissfully for the pair. Aubrey finished submitting all of her postgrad applications, and Beca also managed to convince her to change the set list for the ICCAs. She'd worked on a mix for days on end, and just listening to it Aubrey knew she had no choice. She'd heard a lot of the brunette's work by now, obviously, but this was just miles above anything she'd done. She'd even sat down with Aubrey to explain what she had in mind for the arrangement, and the parts people should sing. It had ended with Aubrey telling Beca that she had absolute faith in leaving the Bellas to her next year because she was more talented than anyone she'd ever met.

That had led to Beca pinning her to the bed, the two of them getting pretty heavily involved until Chloe interrupted the moment. She left almost straight away, apologizing profusely, but the moment was kind of squashed. Unfortunately for the two of them, it became a trend – Chloe would inadvertently interrupt them just as they were beginning to get somewhere, whether it was in the dorm room, in the Bellas hall and Jesse even managed to interrupt them in the radio station one afternoon. Beca was going almost insane, because she could tell that Aubrey was just as into it as she was, and her body was on fire.

During break at one of their Bellas practices, Stacie cornered Aubrey, having picked up on her frustration. It was a talent the freshman had, detecting sexual tension.

"Alright," she said quietly to the senior. "Spit it out. What's going on with you and Mitchell?"

"Nothing," Aubrey said. Then as an afterthought she added, "And that's kind of the problem."

"You two haven't had sex yet?" she asked, genuinely surprised. "Beca not giving it up?"

"No, that's not it," Aubrey said. "Chloe just has the absolute worst sense of timing of anyone I've ever met. It's infuriating, and the only reason I haven't gone completely off my rocker is because it's Chloe. She has no idea she's even doing it."

"That explains why Beca keeps looking at you like she wants to tear your clothes off with her teeth," Stacie said. They both looked at the shorter brunette, whose eyes were on Aubrey. Stacie saw the way their looks intensified. "Alright, Bree. I'm on it."

"On what?"

"I've got you covered. Tomorrow night I'll text Chloe with a mani-pedi emergency. All you have to do is get Beca there, I'll keep Red in sight all night, con her in to a sleepover," she said simply.

"You'd do that?" Aubrey said. Stacie shrugged and nodded.

"Hey, I don't just look out for my own interest when it comes to sex," she said. "I'm of the opinion that everyone who wants to be having sex should get to, even if their redheaded best friend is oblivious to the fact that she's twat-swatting them."

"Stacie, I owe you," she said. "Huge."

"No payback necessary," she said. Aubrey nodded and the brunette rejoined the group. Aubrey took a long drink of water, watching her girlfriend closely. She was wearing yoga pants and a tank top, both of which were clinging to her petite body in a way that was doing nothing to help Aubrey's desire to touch her inappropriately. Hopefully, she said to herself, it would only be about twenty-four hours.

It ended up being more like twenty-six, because Beca had wanted to grab dinner out, which was nice. She had no idea that Aubrey and Stacie had conspired to get Chloe to give them a night alone, she was just enjoying spending the night with her girlfriend. They had arrived back at Aubrey and Chloe's dorm, and Aubrey couldn't help herself. She pulled Beca into a passionate kiss that bordered on lewd, the brunette making a whimpering sound as she felt her body immediately begin humming. Her arms wrapped around the blonde's shoulders, and their lips met again. Aubrey pulled back and her fingers began hurriedly undoing the buttons of Beca's shirt.

"Bree," the brunette half moaned, as the blonde spread the collar wide and let her lips skim along her collarbone. "You know as soon as we get started Chlo's gonna show up." She let one of her hands slide into Aubrey's hair, fisting it gently. Aubrey shook her head and let her lips slide up Beca's neck, resting just below her ear.

"She's staying at Stacie's tonight," she said. "We're totally alone, finally." Beca growled deep in her throat and immediately pushed Aubrey down onto the bed and straddled her.

"You better not be messing with me," she said. Aubrey just let her hands fall to Beca's waist and unbutton her jeans, before moving back to the unfinished buttons on the shirt. Beca almost ripped the shirt off of Aubrey, hands and lips needing to be on every inch of the blonde's body.

Beca had always intended the first time to be slow and romantic, but she and Aubrey found themselves practically exploding from the pent up frustration. It was a frenetic tangle of limbs, a symphony of moans and pants that bounced around the small room until they were both breathless and finally satisfied. Beca was kissing the crook of Aubrey's neck softly, inhaling the scent that she'd grown so accustomed to, mixed with the smell of their sweat. She was lazily caressing the blonde's abdomen, when Aubrey shifted to kiss her deeply.

"God, Beca,' she said. "That was so worth the wait."

"I'll say," Beca replied. She rolled onto the blonde's body. "It's still early."

"Uh huh," Aubrey said. Her pupils dilated a little, and her hands found Beca's hips, thumbs brushing in circles over the bone.

"And we really should take advantage of the fact that we're going to be alone all night," Beca continued.

"Uh huh," Aubrey said again, meeting Beca's lips in a passionate kiss. She didn't have to continue the conversation any further.

They finally ended up passing out in the early hours of the morning, naked and tangled beneath the sheets of Aubrey's bed. They were so exhausted neither of them heard the texts come through on Aubrey's phone from Chloe, who was giving them the heads up that she and Stacie would be coming over to pick them up for brunch soon. When the two girls did arrive, Beca and Aubrey were still firmly entwined and deeply asleep.

"Well," Chloe said. "No prizes for guessing what they did last night." Stacie smirked. At least she'd played a part in what she was seeing. Aubrey shifted first, hearing a voice, and turning red when she realized they had visitors.

"Jesus!" she exclaimed. "What the hell?"

"We texted like four times," Chloe said. "And chill. I've actually seen you both naked already."

"I haven't," Stacie said, "So I'll avert my eyes, but it is a little late for that. Your sheet's only like halfway up." That was when Beca rolled over and saw the intruders.

"The fuck?" she mumbled. "Fuck off, we're sleeping."

"And that's the Beca Mitchell I know and love," Stacie said. "Good morning sunshine. We invited you girls to brunch. But since you're clearly way too tired from last night's… activities… we might just go without you."

"You do that," Beca said. "And as a general rule, waking someone up before nine on a Saturday, unless that person has an exam, is just cruel. Especially since you don't have coffee in your hand." She dropped back onto the pillow and curled into Aubrey's side.

"Okay," Chloe said. "Maybe you guys should text us when it's actually safe for me to return."

"Uh, okay," Aubrey said. "Give us a couple hours? We were up late."

"I'm sure you were," Stacie smirked. Chloe just rolled her eyes and they left. Aubrey's face was completely pink.

"That was fairly mortifying," she said. Beca's hand found the side of her face.

"It could have been worse," she said simply.

"Beca, Stacie and Chloe just saw us both naked," Aubrey said. "How could it have been worse?" Beca suddenly moved on top of her and kissed her neck, her hands lightly traveling to her ribs.

"One – half naked. Waists up. Two - they could have walked in right in the middle of us…" Aubrey hummed in contentment as their lips met.

"That's true," Aubrey said, as Beca began kissing along her jawline.

"And we know they're going to be nowhere near the area for the next couple of hours," she continued. She began to lightly move her hips against the blonde.

"Who needs sleep?" Aubrey said, her arms tightening around the smaller girl and rolling her over.


	12. Chapter 12

As expected, they had to endure some teasing from Chloe and Stacie about the state in which they'd been found that morning. Beca didn't care as much as Aubrey did, and when the blonde excused herself to go to the bathroom, Beca asked them to lay off.

"She's not as comfortable and open about sex as you guys," Beca said. "She was beyond embarrassed."

"Okay," Chloe said. "Don't think this gives you a free pass though."

"Tease me all you want," Beca said, shrugging. "I spent the night having incredible sex with a gorgeous woman I love, I don't care what you say." Stacie's jaw dropped.

"You love her?" Stacie said. Beca looked casual about it.

"Yeah, of course. She knows I do," Beca said.

"I didn't realize you guys were at that stage already," Chloe said thoughtfully.

"We are," Beca said. "I don't know how much of what Bree and I talk about makes it back to you, but I'm in this for real, Chlo. Sure, she's gonna go off to New York and be a kick ass lawyer and whatever, but I'm not letting that stop me from telling her how I feel."

"Awww, that's cute," Stacie said. "Beca Mitchell is a softie, deep down." Aubrey returned to the table and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"She is," the blonde said, "Though she'll deny it til she dies." As promised, the girls stopped teasing about the morning's incident, and they moved on to other matters, namely the ICCA championships. The Bellas were excited, and the Trebles were worried. Beca had to get Jesse to swear they weren't going to pull some weird shit to sabotage them, and he had admitted that Bumper had brought up the idea but was shot down by the entire group.

Once they'd finished eating, they got up and went their separate ways, Chloe needing to study for an exam and Stacie disappearing somewhere she didn't specify. Aubrey and Beca just walked campus for a while, hand in hand, not really talking much. Beca did have to eventually do some study of her own, so Aubrey walked her back to her dorm. Unfortunately, Kimmy Jin was there, so Aubrey just kissed her and told her she'd see her the next day.

When Beca sat down at her desk, she could feel the stare of her roommate boring into her.

"Did you need something, Kimmy Jin?" Beca asked.

"Are you dating the blonde?" the other girl asked.

"Yes," Beca said. "We've been dating for a while. Is that going to be a problem?"

"No," she said. "I thought you'd end up with that puppy dog boy."

"Yeah, he thought the same thing. But I'm gay, so nope. And Aubrey's pretty perfect."

"I like her," Kimmy Jin said. "She might be good for you." Beca was surprised that Kimmy Jin was being civil.

"She's great for me," Beca said. "But seriously, we won't be camping out here and making life uncomfortable if that's what you're worried about." Kimmy Jin watched her silently for a moment.

"If you need me to clear out for a night or something, just let me know," the girl said. "Not like, every night, but if you need some space."

"Um. Okay. Thanks," Beca said. She turned to her books and opened one. Aubrey's good study habits were rubbing off on her. It wasn't as if she enjoyed study now, but she was at least confident that she was studying effectively, which was new for her. Cynthia Rose dropped past later in the day to tag-team some marketing homework. After spending most of the afternoon on it, Beca called it quits and the two of them went for burgers and a breather. They brought their food back to the dorm and Beca showed Cynthia Rose some of the mixes she'd been working on lately. The two got caught up in conversations about music and before long, it was after ten and Cynthia Rose bailed. Beca figured she'd have an earlyish night for once in her life and crawled into bed.

Monday morning, she was woken early by Chloe, who had clearly decided that seven am was an appropriate time to text her.

_Are you awake?_

Beca typed out her response. _I am now._

 _Bree's dad called. She's freaking out._ Beca dialed Chloe's phone.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Bree's dad called because he'll be in Atlanta on business next week. She let slip she was dating someone, and before she knew it he had set up dinner with the two of you, and then he cut the call short before she had the chance to mention that you're not so much a tall, strapping poli-sci good old southern boy as you are a tiny tattooed and pierced and very much female DJ from the Northwest," Chloe said.

"Is her dad some kind of homophobe?" she asked, worried.

"No," Chloe said. "At least, he's never indicated anything of the sort to me and I've been out as bi to him forever. But it's Bree, and it's her dad. Panicking is what she does. And I have class in thirty minutes, and it's the exam I was cramming for all weekend."

"I'll be there in fifteen," Beca said. She got up and washed up quickly, then stuffed her first classes books in her bag with her laptop. She made her way to Aubrey and Chloe's room as quickly as possible and knocked on the door. Chloe met her with a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek as she sailed out, saying to text if they needed anything. Beca stood inside the door and watched a frantic Aubrey pace a track in the carpet as she muttered to herself. After watching the back and forth, she stood directly in front of the blonde and grabbed both her wrists.

"Get your stuff," she said. "We're going out."

"Stuff?" Aubrey said.

"Whatever you need for your first class," Beca said. "I'm taking you out to breakfast."

"What? Why?"

"Because our best friend told me this morning that your dad called and he wants to have dinner, and now you're stressing out," Beca said firmly. "And if I'm going to meet him, I need to be properly prepared." Aubrey stopped walking.

"You wanna meet my dad?" She seemed utterly surprised by the idea.

"He wants to meet me, so sure. I get it. He just wants to make sure you're with someone who loves you. And I do. So, whatever I gotta do to get him on board Team Beca, I'm in. Get your stuff, we're going to breakfast."

"He doesn't know – you know," Aubrey said, gathering some stuff together and cramming it in a bag.

"I know," Beca said. "That's okay. That one I have experience with."

"Are you sure?" Aubrey asked, surprised.

"Really sure," Beca said. She drove them off campus to a diner that was out towards her dad's house and waited until her girlfriend had drunk most of her coffee before talking.

"So your dad," she said. "What do I need to know?"

"He's not homophobic," Aubrey said. "And I think he knows that I'm not entirely straight, but I've never specifically told him that I'm interested in girls. His biggest worry is that whoever I'm with will distract me from school."

"Well, I can promise I'm not going to do that," Beca said. "Since the fact that you're the smartest person I know is one of the things I love most about you. So he's basically going to want an assurance that I love you and I'm respectful, that I'm not going to distract you from school and that I've got some kind of plan for my future."

"That's about right," Aubrey said. The waiter placed their orders in front of them. "Beca, you do realize you don't have to meet him, if you don't want to."

"He's a big part of your life, Bree. Plus, my dad and Sheila want to meet you, too," she said.

"They do?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "I mean, you already met my dad. But he wants to meet you properly."

"And you and Sheila are actually getting along now?" she asked.

"Um, I guess," Beca said. She nudged Aubrey's leg with her shoe. "So are you feeling a little bit better?"

"Much," Aubrey said. "You're pretty good at that, you know?" Beca smirked around a mouthful of bacon and eggs. Aubrey just stared at her and once she had swallowed the mouthful, she leaned over the table and kissed her.

"Thanks," she said softly. "You're… you're really something else, Beca."

"How so?" she said.

"I'm sure most people who know you would never presume that you're so… sweet. And kind of romantic, and god…"

"Careful," Beca said. "I still have a rep to protect." Aubrey rolled her eyes. They ate the rest of their breakfast and Beca tucked some money into the billfold. Aubrey couldn't help but take a few moments to push Beca up on the hood of the car, standing between her legs and kissing her deeply. Beca's legs gently hooked behind her thighs and her hands rested low on her hips.

"I love you," Aubrey said against her mouth just before she pulled away.

"I love you, too," Beca said. "So when's dinner?"

"Next Wednesday," Aubrey said. "We should go, I have class soon." They made their way back to campus and Aubrey headed off to class. Beca texted Chloe.

_If you're not in class right now, call me._

It was ten minutes before she got the call back.

"What's up?" Chloe said. "Is Bree okay?"

"She's fine," Beca said. "I calmed her down, she's in class. I just wanted to ask you how scared I should be right now. We're having dinner on Wednesday."

"He is an intimidating man," Chloe said, "But he's not, like, an asshole or anything. He's going to want reassurance that you're not dicking around with his little girl or her future."

"Any tips?" Beca asked.

"Aubrey will leave you two alone to talk, trust me," Chloe said. "Just be blunt. You love her, so tell him that. Don't beat around the bush. Just tell him how you feel, tell him that you're not making her give anything up for you."

"Okay. I can do that," she said. "Thanks."

"You were more worried than you let on with Bree?" she asked.

"I know having his approval is important to her," she replied. "I just want him to like me. Like, I know the plaid and boots probably isn't going to work. But I've got a plan."

"You've got a plan?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, but I may require your help," Beca said. "Can I call you later? I've got meet CR before class."

"Sure," Chloe said. They ended the conversation, and Beca trudged off to meet CR.


	13. Chapter 13

When the night of dinner came, Aubrey knocked on Beca's door. She was still nervous as hell, but knowing that Beca was going to be by her side was stopping her from projectile vomiting until she passed out. She heard her girlfriend's muffled assurance that she was coming, so she leaned against the wall. When the door opened, she was stunned by what she saw.

Beca was wearing a dress. A very tasteful, feminine dress. It was navy, with three quarter sleeves. Her hair was out and curled just a little, and she'd pulled way back on the eyeliner. She'd also ditched the ear spike and combat boots and traded them for simple hoops and a pair of boots she thought might be Chloe's.

"Beca…" Aubrey said. "You look gorgeous." She blushed.

"Thanks. I figured your dad wouldn't dig the whole dark and broody thing," she said. "I couldn't do anything about the headphone tattoo, but the rest of them are hidden."

"You realize I love you exactly the way you are though, right?" Aubrey said. "This wasn't necessary. It's really sweet and you look incredible, but you don't have to be uncomfortable. I love you no matter what you're wearing."

"I'm not uncomfortable," Beca said. "These are all things I already owned. Except the shoes." Aubrey leaned forward and kissed her, carefully so as not to smudge her lip gloss. Beca felt Aubrey's hands moving down to her waist and she tugged them away just before they hit her ass.

"We really do not have time for that," she said. "Because if you keep going, the dress is coming off, and then so is yours, and I don't think you'd like to introduce me to your dad that way. 'Oh hey dad, sorry I'm late. I was banging my girlfriend. By the way, this is my girlfriend – and did I mention I like girls'?" She smirked.

Aubrey laughed and smacked her ass before taking her hand. The restaurant was one of the nicer ones in town, and that made Beca glad she had dressed up a little for the occasion. She felt Aubrey begin to tense up the closer they got, so she reached out a hand and rested it on her knee.

"Deep breaths, babe," she said. "It's going to be okay."

"Why do I feel like this night is going to last forever?" she muttered.

"It's just your dad," Beca said. "I know his opinion means a lot to you, but there's no way he won't be as impressed and proud of you as I am."

"You're getting very good at picking the right words to calm me down, Mitchell," Aubrey sighed. "Okay. We're here." They got out of the car, Aubrey taking time to smooth invisible wrinkles from her own dress. Beca took her hand as they walked toward the entrance.

"Just to help you get through the evening," Beca said, "Kimmy Jin is out for the night. So after this we can go back to my room, uninterrupted." Aubrey flashed her a look that said she was revisiting the idea of wandering hands, but turned to the host.

"We've got a booking under Posen," she said.

"Mr Posen is at the bar, I'll show you all to your table," he said. They followed the man toward the bar area. There was only one single man in the vicinity. Beca gave her girlfriend's hand a reassuring squeeze and relinquished it so she could be embraced by her father. To the man's credit, he either wasn't surprised that their third for the evening was a woman, or he hid it very well.

"There's my girl," he said. "You look well, Aubrey."

"It's so good to see you," she said. "Dad, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Beca Mitchell. Beca, my dad William Posen." Beca held out a hand and delivered a firm handshake.

"It's nice to finally meet you, sir," she said. "Aubrey speaks highly of you, and often."

"It's nice to meet you too," he said. The host led them through to a table, leaving them with menus.

"I'm glad you both could join me while I was in town," he said. "I was surprised, Aubrey, to hear that you had someone this important in your life." Aubrey's eyes went straight to Beca, an involuntary smile spreading across her face.

"I wanted to tell you sooner," she said, "It's all been sort of new for me as well. But Beca and I are quite serious now. I wouldn't introduce you to someone I wasn't serious about."

"So, Beca," he said. "How long have you two been together?"

"We got together around Christmas," Beca said. "But we've known each other since the start of the school year. I'm a member of the Bellas, and Chloe is my best friend. I'll be honest, I was having a bad time earlier in the year with some personal issues, and Aubrey and Chloe really helped me get through them. Aubrey especially. Then I found that the more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to spend time with her."

"And I was realizing at the same time that I had feelings for her," Aubrey supplied. "Beca is the only person I've ever met who was confident enough to disagree with me and not back down. But she was also encouraging, and she's my biggest supporter when it comes to school. Every time I'm stressed out, she's right there."

"That's good to hear," William smiled. "What about you Beca? Do you have grad school plans?"

"I'm only a freshman at the moment," she said. "I've declared a double major in marketing and music, and ideally I would like to work in the music industry."

"Music?"

"My mother was a professor at the Portland Conservatorium of Music," she said. "Before she passed. I was lucky enough to inherit some of her aptitude and passion for the subject. Marketing will only make it easier, and will also serve as a fallback plan."

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother," he said gently, looking at Beca. "Was it recent?"

"A little over a year ago," she confessed. "The rough time I mentioned was right around the anniversary of her passing. Aubrey was instrumental in me making it through that period."

"How are classes?" he asked Aubrey. Aubrey was halfway through her answer when the waiter came to take their orders.

They chatted their way through the appetizer, and as the plates were being cleared, Aubrey excused herself to use the restroom. She knew at some point her dad would want to talk to Beca alone, and she didn't see the point putting it off. As soon as she was gone from earshot, he turned to the smaller girl.

"I have to say," he began, "you are not what I had envisioned for Aubrey. I won't lie, I had suspected that she may favor women, but she never brought it up and I wouldn't assume it was my place to ask. Does your father know?" It wasn't accusatory.

"He does," Beca said.

"Are you worried about what happens when she graduates?" he asked.

"No," Beca said. "William, may I get straight to the point?" He nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"I love your daughter. She means the world to me. I was lucky enough to get to know the kind of person she was throughout the year, and am even luckier now that she feels that I'm worthy of her in such an intimate manner. She is more intelligent, more engaging, more thoughtful, more compassionate and more determined than anyone I've ever known. Just being with her makes me want to be better and aim higher. She's graduating soon, yes. But she'll be going to Columbia, her dream school, to pursue a career that she's been working towards her whole life. I can't wait to see her succeed there, and she will. Her happiness and success are so important to me. I'm sure the both of us will have to learn how to be patient while we navigate a long distance relationship, but what we have is worth the effort. I love her too much to ask her to sacrifice her study and her future," she said. William was listening intently. "I know it would mean a lot to her if you approved of our relationship. Honestly, I hope you do. Because if it matters to her, it matters to me. But I promise you, William, I adore her. I will be by her side as she takes on her post grad studies, and thereafter. I can't imagine that there would be anybody in the world better for me than she is. We're both a little headstrong, a little stubborn. We can both miss the forest for the trees when we're focused. But we're great together, and I want us to be great for a long, long time." She held his eyes as he mulled her words over.

"I quite like you," he said softly. "I can appreciate someone who gets straight to the point in the manner you have. Aubrey means a lot to you, I can tell. And as her father, I just want her to be loved and respected."

"Both of which she is," Beca said.

"You know what got me most?" he said. "The look in her eyes when she introduced you to me. I don't think I've seen her this happy since her mother passed." His words were a little stilted with emotion.

"It means a lot that you would say that," Beca said.

"So yes, I approve," he said. "Because you clearly love each other, and I can't stand in the way of that."

"Thank you," Beca said. She internally breathed a sigh of relief. Aubrey rejoined them, pleased to see that Beca didn't look like she was freaking out or being interrogated. Her father also seemed more open as the conversation resumed.

Beca excused herself while they waited for coffee, and Aubrey turned to her dad nervously. "So, dad. I know you probably talked to Beca."

"I want you to answer three questions," he said. "Is she good to you?"

"She's the best," Aubrey replied.

"Are you happy?"

"Happier than I ever remember being, honestly."

"And - do you see a future with her?" Aubrey took a deep breath.

"We haven't even been together a year," she said. "But yes. I love her and I want my future to be with her."

"Then how can I not approve of her? She's an interesting young woman, maybe a little unorthodox, but she loves you, Aubrey. And she wants what's best for you, and that's all a father ever wants for his daughter." Aubrey grinned, her eyes a little misty.

"Thank you," she said. "I really wanted you to like her." She beamed at her girlfriend as she rejoined them for coffee, talk turning to the upcoming nationals performance for Bellas.

Late in the evening, William was settling the check, the two women waiting near the front doors. As he turned toward them, Aubrey was pressing a kiss to Beca's forehead. He could clearly make out the words _I love you_ on her lips. He smiled to himself and held the door for the two of them as they exited.

"Thank you for dinner," Beca said. "It was great to meet you." William shook her hand.

"You too, Beca," he said. Then he hugged his daughter.

"I'll talk to you soon," he said.

"If I hear anything from school I'll let you know," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said, kissing her cheek. "You two take care of each other."

"We will," Beca promised, and they parted ways. Beca's hand slipped into Aubrey's as they made their way back to the car. Before Beca could open her door, Aubrey pulled her into her arms.

"Thank you," she said. "I think that went well."

"Yeah, it did," Beca said. "He's not too scary. Like I said, he just wants what's best for you."

"And he agrees that it's you," Aubrey said. Beca smiled.

"Really?" she said.

"He said it's clear that you love me and want what's best for me, and that's all he ever wanted," she said. Beca leaned up and kissed her.

"I'm glad," she said. "I know that his approval is important to you." Aubrey's hands slid down her back.

"Now that dinner's out of the way," she said, "I believe you promised me a roommate free dorm for the night."

"I did," Beca said against her lips. She felt Aubrey's hands graze over her ass before pulling her in firmly. "In public, Posen? I mean, Chloe I'd understand but you?" She was silenced by the sting of Aubrey's teeth biting down on her lip and a bruising kiss. She whimpered involuntarily and melted against her girlfriend.

"I'm sorry, was that a complaint?" she teased.

"Nope, not at all. Now, get in," she said, opening Aubrey's door.


	14. Chapter 14

Since dinner with Aubrey's dad had been such a success, Beca decided to line up dinner with her dad and Sheila for the Friday of the next week. Both of them had expressed their excitement at getting to meet someone Beca considered to be very important, and that made Aubrey nervous in the lead-up to the event.

"You don't have to be nervous," Beca said the day before the dinner. "It's going to be a very casual thing. Sheila's cooking. Wear jeans."

"It's still important that I make a good first impression," Aubrey said. They were walking back to her dorm so Aubrey could change before they met Chloe and Stacie for their almost routine Chinese dinner.

"How could you possibly make a bad first impression?" Beca asked. "You're smart, polite, beautiful, you can hold a conversation, and I love you." Aubrey rolled her eyes, but pecked Beca on the lips anyway.

"You're smooth, Mitchell," she said. She unlocked the door, and both of their eyes were immediately drawn to a note Chloe had left on her desk in bright pink highlighter.

_BREE! POSTGRAD LETTERS!_

_xo C._

The note was sitting atop a stack of envelopes. Big envelopes, Beca noticed, and they were the ones colleges sent out when they accepted you, generally. Aubrey was growing pale, so Beca sat her on the desk chair.

"Deep breaths," she said. "How do you wanna do this?"

"Um, who are they from?" she asked. Beca picked the stack up.

"Yale, Brown, Princeton, Columbia, Harvard and Penn," she said.

"Let's go Brown, Penn, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia," Aubrey said. Beca shuffled them into the correct order and handed the envelope from Brown to her girlfriend. She tore it open and pulled out the first page, scanning it emotionlessly.

"Next?" she said. Beca handed it to her, surprised. The rest of the stack passed in a similar fashion, until all that was left was Columbia. She scanned it in an equally cool manner, but was unable to hold the façade. A wide grin broke out across her face and she stood up excitedly.

"They want me," she said. "Beca, Columbia want me!" Beca cheered and tackled her onto the bed, kissing her hard.

"Of course they do," she said. "You're brilliant. I told you so."

"I know you did, but having the actual piece of paper in my hand makes all the difference in the world," she said.

"What about the other schools?" Beca asked.

"Oh, they all want me too," she said, "But I'm only concerned with Columbia." She wrapped her arms around Beca's neck and kissed her again.

"Only you would be so casual about getting accepted to the best schools in the country. Come on," Beca said. "Get dressed, we'll go celebrate with Chlo and Stace." Aubrey quickly changed and they headed out to meet the other girls. Just before they entered the restaurant, Beca pulled her to a stop.

"Hey," she said. "I'm really proud of you, you know that? And I promise we're going to celebrate properly, just me and you." She leaned in and kissed her tenderly. Then they went inside, where Chloe was waiting and looking like she was going to burst out of her skin in anticipation.

"Bree!" Chloe said. "Did you get them!?" Aubrey nodded, unable to stop from smiling.

"I got into all of them," she said. Chloe squealed and they got up and hugged.

"All of them?" Stacie asked Beca.

"Brown, Penn, Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Princeton," she said.

"Wow," Stacie said. "Where's she going?"

"Columbia," Beca said. "And I could not be prouder." She kissed Aubrey on the cheek as the blonde sat down. They ate and toasted to Aubrey and Columbia, Beca and Stacie having to flash their fake IDs. Afterwards, they ambled back toward campus.

"So, tomorrow night," Beca said. "I'll talk to Sheila and Dad and put dinner off until Sunday. I want to take you out and we'll celebrate."

"You sure they won't mind?" Aubrey asked.

"No," Beca said. "We'll do dinner. My treat." Aubrey smiled and held on to Beca's arm as they walked. They separated at Beca and Stacie's dorm building, Beca citing an unfinished paper she wanted to knock over before bed. In reality, she went back to her room and after checking how much money she had in savings, began planning an elaborate night out.

First, she booked a hotel in Atlanta and rented a town car, because she could at least do that online. Then she started looking at restaurants near the hotel. She knew she'd be absolutely crazy to think she'd get anywhere top quality, but she made a list of places for her to call in the morning.

When she woke up, she started calling restaurants, and just as she suspected she wasn't having much luck. Two people actually laughed at her. She still had a lot to do, so she put the calling on hold – figuring that if all else failed she could tempt Aubrey into a "let's order room service and spend the night entirely naked" celebration – to drop by her dad's place, since he wasn't on campus at the moment.

"Beca, this is a nice surprise," he said, opening the door. "Come in, I was just making coffee." She followed him into the kitchen where he got out another mug.

"Dad, I have a huge favor to ask," Beca said, sitting down. "Any chance we can postpone dinner til Sunday?"

"Any particular reason?" he asked, pouring them both coffee and a tea that she assumed would be for Sheila.

"Bree got her postgrad acceptances back and I wanted to take her out to celebrate," Beca said.

"Oh. Where'd she get accepted?"

"Six of the eight Ivy Leagues," Beca said. "Every college she applied to. Not that I had any doubt. She's settled on Columbia."

"Well, tell her congratulations from me, and I'm sure Sheila won't mind moving dinner," he said.

"Sheila won't mind what?" Sheila said coming into the room. She picked up her tea.

"Letting me postpone dinner til Sunday so I can celebrate Aubrey getting in to Columbia," she said.

"Wow," Sheila said. "Of course not. Was that her first pick?"

"Yep," she said. "She put in six applications, got six offers."

"What's your plan?" Sheila asked.

"Well I booked a room at a hotel in Atlanta," she said. "And I'm trying to get a table at someplace nice for dinner but it's kinda short notice." She watched her dad and Sheila exchange a look.

"I can help with that," Sheila said. "Noel, my brother's partner is a chef in Atlanta. Place called Marc & Marc."

"Are you joking? You can call and get a table for tonight? That's crazy." Beca asked. Marc & Marc was supposedly an amazing restaurant. It was new, but it was being raved about by anyone who was anyone in the food industry, and it meant that trying to get a table there was almost impossible.

"No, I'm not joking. They generally have a table held at all times – normally it's for like, VIPs or whatever, but if it's available he'll let me have it," Sheila said. "I'll call him right now." She got up and left the room.

"This sounds like an expensive night out Beca," her dad said, worried.

"I know," she said. "I can cover it. It's just… for the next few years we're not going to be able to do this as often as I'd like. So I figure I may as well spoil the crap out of her while I still have her around." Her dad was staring at her.

"The next few years?" he said in an amused tone. Beca blushed.

"Uh, yeah. Well, provided she doesn't get sick of my sarcastic short ass, that's the plan." He didn't get the chance to say anything else, because Sheila walked back into the room.

"Table for two, eight thirty," she said. Beca got up and hugged her, probably the first time she had ever instigated a hug with the woman in her life.

"Thank you so much, Sheila," she said. "Really."

"Tell them you're guests of Noel and they'll take good care of you," she said. "Your dad can attest to how good the food is."

"Oh I can," he said. "They do a peach dessert thingy that was too good for words."

"And that's exactly what it's called on the menu," Sheila teased.

"Now, I know this was a flying visit, but I still gotta enlist Chloe's help with part of this, so I gotta go," she said. "And let me know if you need us to bring anything to dinner Sunday. Aubrey will want to, she's been brought up with the whole 'if you're invited for dinner, don't show up empty handed' kind of deal."

"Okay," her dad said. "Have fun, and drive safe."

"Oh we're not driving," Beca said. "Town car." She waved and let herself out, driving back to Barden and hoping beyond hope that Chloe was in her room. Luckily, she was, and she knew Aubrey had classes til five.

"Chlo," Beca said. "I need your help."

"What's the drama?" Chloe asked, opening the door.

"I've arranged a special night out for Aubrey to celebrate," she said. "It's a surprise, but I need her to be wearing something super fancy at six thirty out the front of the building, and I need enough stuff packed so we can stay in Atlanta overnight."

"Oooh, sounds romantic," she said. "Let's pack now. Does she know you're taking her out?"

"Yeah, but not that I've gone all out. She thinks we're going to dinner somewhere around here."

"What are you doing?"

"Sheila called in a favor and got us a table at Marc & Marc," Beca said.

"Oh my god," Chloe said. "Nobody's been able to book there for months."

"So a town car is picking us up to take us into Atlanta, dinner at Marc & Marc, and a suite at the Grand Hyatt," Beca said. "I don't have much time left to spoil her, so I'm going crazy while I can. Please tell me she has something suitable to wear." Chloe opened her closet and rifled through the hangers.

"What color are you wearing?" Chloe asked.

"Black," Beca said. "Even I own an LBD."

"How about this?" she said, pulling out a silvery halter dress.

"Yeah," Beca said. "She'd look amazing in that."

"How about I assemble this outfit ready to go, and you throw some overnight stuff in a bag. You can take it with you without being seen," she said.

"Deal." The two girls worked silently, until Chloe broke the quiet.

"Becs? It's like, really serious between you two, isn't it?" she asked. "I mean, I know you guys have done the whole saying I love you thing, even though it hasn't been that long, but it feels like you're both really there."

"Yeah it's serious," Beca said. "I can see a future with her. Like, an honest to god, ten years down the track future." Chloe smiled and stopped what she was doing to give Beca a hug.

"I know I've said it before, but I'm really happy for you guys," she said. "I love that you're both so happy, and that you found it with each other."

"Thanks Chlo," Beca said. "Now, I've got stuff for Bree, you've got that outfit ready to go. I have to go see Stacie and then it's all systems go."

"Have you been to class today?" Chloe asked with a suspicious smirk.

"Nope," she said. "Busy. But worth it. It's okay, the only one that was important was marketing and CR has my back."

"Alright," she said. "As long as you're not skipping out on too many classes. Bree wouldn't be super happy to hear you played hooky for her. Now go finish your master plan, I swear I'll have her looking gorgeous and ready to go at six thirty on the dot."

"Thanks Chlo. I owe you," she said. She shouldered the bag and made her way back across campus, digging her cell out as she walked.

"Hey Stace," she said. "What are you doing at say, five thirty?"

"Avoiding a history paper and probably painting my nails," she said.

"I need a favor," Beca said. "So I've planned this huge night out for Bree, town car, fancy dinner, the whole nine yards. And I've got the outfit planned, but I was hoping you might be able to give me a hand with the rest of the look. I want to step it up a little."

"You want me to play makeover with you?" Stacie said. "I'm in. What color dress? No, don't worry, it's probably black."

"Yeah," Beca said.

"I'll be there," she said. "Five thirty." Beca hung up and took a deep breath. Somehow she'd managed to pull it all off in a single day. She floated off into a brief daydream about what the look on Aubrey's face would look like when she came to pick her up. About the dress, the heels. When she snapped out of it, she checked her watch and realized she had to move her ass so she could pack her own overnight stuff, and quickened her pace.


	15. Chapter 15

Beca stirred from her sleep and smiled as she heard the shower turn on. Last night had been a fantastic night out. Aubrey had looked absolutely flawless in the outfit Chloe had picked, to the point where on first sight Beca almost forgot how to speak for a moment. Stacie had also done a killer job on her own makeup and hair, making the smaller girl promise to let her do it again for a night out sometime as payment. The blonde had started crying when Beca had explained the plan for the night. Her jaw had dropped upon seeing Beca, and the car. She was smart enough to be wearing waterproof mascara, thank god, otherwise she would have cried it all off. As it was, she'd had to reapply her lips after attacking Beca in the car on the way up. The only thing stopping the blonde from taking her right in the backseat was the fact that the front was only a plexiglass screen away and they had no idea how soundproof it was.

They'd checked in to the hotel and gone to dinner at Marc & Marc, which Beca reminded herself to thank Sheila again for. The food was to die for, and landing the VIP table meant that they had been very well taken care of. The place had been full to capacity, but to Beca and Aubrey it may as well have been empty because they saw nothing but each other all night.

Beca had told Aubrey after dinner that if she didn't want to go back to the hotel just yet, they didn't have to, they could do whatever she wanted. What she wanted was to quickly duck into a liquor store and buy a bottle of champagne before dragging Beca back to the hotel and tearing her clothes off. They'd toasted to Aubrey's success wrapped in the crisp white sheet of the bed, hair messy and makeup smudged. Then they moved on to the balcony, finishing the bottle wearing hotel robes, Aubrey wrapped around her from behind as they looked out over the lights, her hands wandering until Beca couldn't resist any more and pushed her back into the room and back into bed. They fell asleep stark naked and exhausted.

She heard Aubrey begin singing in the shower, and listened for a few moments. Then she decided to join her, quietly getting up and making her way into the bathroom, opening the shower door and getting in. Her hands rested on Aubrey's hips as she leaned up on tiptoe and kissed down her neck. "Good morning."

"Mmm," Aubrey hummed as Beca's lips continued. "A very good morning." There was the soft sting of Beca's teeth nipping at her neck, and she turned around to meet her in a bruising kiss, pushing her up against the wall. Beca's hands tightened their grip on her hips as Aubrey pushed against her, the kiss making her grow dizzy from a lack of oxygen. Mercifully, Aubrey pulled away and began kissing her way down Beca's body. The brunette's head snapped back against the tiles as Aubrey inevitably found her destination and Beca was lost to time and anything outside the steamy cubicle.

"That was not my intention when I got in the shower with you," Beca said later, fingers gently probing the darkening bruise at the base of her girlfriend's neck. "It was supposed to just be a shower, I swear."

"I'm not complaining," Aubrey said. "Plus, I'm still remembering how hot you looked last night. Not my fault." She put the last of her stuff back in her bag. Check out was in twenty minutes and they were going to leave their stuff in holding while they went to find brunch. They settled in a café not too far from the hotel and ate sitting next to each other in a round booth, tucked away in their own little corner of the world. The waiter had just delivered more coffee before going off to get the check, and Beca was humming and idly toying with Aubrey's hand.

"Beca?" Aubrey said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I just want you to know… I mean, since we've gotten together you've really gone all out. Planning dates, taking me out, meeting my dad… I just hope you don't think I'm not as serious about this as you are," she said.

"What?" Beca asked, confused. "I don't think that."

"Good," Aubrey said. "I really do love you, and I'm serious about making us work, even if I don't do all the same sorts of things."

"Bree, I do these things because I want to," Beca said. "I'm not going to be able to do them much longer, so I want to do them now. And as for what you do for me? Did you even realize that on Tuesday night, you let me lay with my head in your lap for two hours while I studied for my marketing final? And you were scratching at my head a little, and that was enough to calm me the hell down because even thinking about this exam makes me want to rage quit. And when I'm mixing you bring me coffee and don't care that I've got my headphones on, you just curl up on my bed with a book and be there with me? And you leave post its in my textbooks, and you don't care if I don't feel like talking…"

"I don't-" she blushed. "I feel bad watching you blow all this money when I'm the one with a rich father."

"Who's blowing it?" Beca said. "Bree, you got accepted into the grad school of your dreams. That only happens once, if you're lucky. This isn't 'blowing it'. It's not a waste of money. And you know that I really don't care about money anyway."

"I know," Aubrey said. "You're pretty much the best girlfriend ever."

"You know it," Beca smirked. Aubrey tugged on the collar of her plaid shirt, bringing her in for a kiss.

"I love you, you know that?" she said, kissing her again until a cough broke the silence.

"I'll just leave this here," the waiter said in an amused tone, placing the bill on the table. Beca couldn't help but laugh a little as the two separated and turned their attention back to their coffee. After they finished and settled the bill, they just wandered around the surrounding area for a little while before they met the car service for the trip back to Barden. During the ride back, Aubrey simply curled up against Beca's side, the brunette wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

The car pulled up and Beca took both of their bags from the driver, tipped him, and walked Aubrey back to her dorm. She left her with a bursting to the seams Chloe, no doubt waiting to hear all about their night out, planting a soft kiss on her before returning to her own room. Digging her cell from her pocket, she called Sheila and thanked her again for arranging the restaurant. Then on a whim she called her Aunt Marina.

"Hey," Marina said. "I was just thinking about calling you yesterday. How are things?"

"Things are really good," Beca said. "I miss you though."

"School's okay? You're not flunking out?"

"No," Beca said. "Hey do you remember when I came out at Thanksgiving and I told you how my friends Chloe and Aubrey were stopping me going off the deep end?"

"Yeah, I remember," Marina said.

"Uh, I'm dating Aubrey now."

"Aubrey? Not Chloe?"

"No," Beca said. "Chloe and I have always been friends. But Aubrey and I… things changed. It started feeling different with her. We've been together since Christmas."

"She better be good to you, keeping you happy," her aunt said.

"I am happy," she replied. "She's amazing." Her aunt listened as she rambled on about her girlfriend, adding at the end of the conversation that she would love to meet her sometime. Beca promised they'd try and get out there, before cutting the call off. Her phone buzzed almost immediately with a text from Chloe.

_She hasn't shut up about how amazing you are since she got back. This would normally be annoying but I love seeing her so happy. You did good._

Aubrey was still nervous about having dinner with Warren and Sheila the next night, despite Beca's assurances that she didn't need to be. She was currently standing next to Beca on her dad's doorstep, one hand firmly grasping Beca's and the other holding a bottle of red.

"You okay?" Beca asked. Aubrey just nodded, and Beca opened the door.

"Dad? We're here," she said. She took the bottle from Aubrey and helped her pull her coat off. Her father appeared, and Beca re-introduced Aubrey to him, the pair shaking hands.

"Come through, Sheila's just pulling dinner out of the oven," he said. In the kitchen, Sheila was pulling lasagna from the oven, and she set it down so she could meet Aubrey.

"Sheila, Aubrey Posen. Aubrey, my step mom Sheila," Beca said.

"It's nice to meet you," Sheila said.

"You too," Aubrey responded. "Thank you both for having us for dinner."

"Our pleasure," Warren said. "I'll uncork this wine. Beca? Would you like a glass?"

"No thanks dad. I'm driving, so." He nodded his approval, and poured three drinks, gesturing them into the dining room.

The entire evening went well. She could tell her dad loved Aubrey, she was smart and had kicked Beca's ass into gear. And it seemed like Sheila liked her, too. They all chatted amiably around the table until Beca offered to serve up the dessert, her father joining her.

"I like her," he said with a smile. "I won't ramble on. But she's a great girl, Beca. And it looks like she makes you really happy."

"She is, and she does," she replied. They shared the pie and then sat down for some coffee, or tea in Sheila's case. It wasn't long before Beca caught the time and saw it was ten o'clock.

"We better get going," Beca said. "I didn't realize it was so late."

"It was nice to have you here," Sheila said. "Come back soon, the two of you."

"That would be lovely, thank you," Aubrey said. "It was nice to meet you, Sheila. And nice to see you again Professor, I mean, Warren."

"Drive safe," he said to Beca, kissing her on the top of the head. They got back into the car, and Aubrey breathed a sigh of relief.

"I told you they'd love you," Beca said, starting the car.

"That was not nearly as stressful as I had imagined," she said. "I think because my dad can be… challenging… I tend to panic."

"I know," Beca said. "Still. Thanks for coming to dinner."

"Can I ask you a question?" Aubrey asked.

"What is it?"

"How are you getting on with Sheila these days?" Aubrey said. "I know back at the start of the year you implied things weren't so good, but now it seems like you're doing okay." Her girlfriend was definitely observant.

"I think we are," Beca said. "After I told them I was gay, I kind of realized that I don't really share much with dad and Sheila about my life. And when I did they were actually really cool about it. So I guess that's made it easier to share a little more."

"That's great," Aubrey said. "When you were in the kitchen with your dad she asked if you were doing any better with your mom being gone."

"Seriously?"

"From what she was saying I got the impression that she never wanted you to not talk about her, but she was having a little difficulty trying to figure out her role in your life. Because she's clear that she's not your mother, but she still cares about you."

"Huh." Beca mulled that over for a while. She'd never really had that kind of discussion with Sheila. And now she felt like maybe it was time they sat down together and talked it out. "I never really considered that." Aubrey's phone buzzed.

"Chloe says that there are three Bellas staying in our room," she said. "Pedicure party."

"And there are none in mine," Beca said. "Stay the night. Kimmy Jin likes you."

"I think I will," Aubrey said. She texted Chloe to let her know that she'd stay at Beca's, and they drove the rest of the way in silence. Once they were back in Beca's dorm, the smaller girl managed to dig out a shirt of Aubrey's for her to sleep in, one that she'd pinched after sleeping the night in Aubrey's room. Kimmy Jin was awake, but didn't mind Aubrey staying the night. They washed up and changed and curled up tightly in Beca's bed, sharing only a few kisses before falling asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

It was a mere two weeks later that landed them at the ICCA finals. Beca was uncharacteristically tense, nerves practically radiating from every pore in her body. Aubrey took her outside the chaotic green room and pulled her into a dark alcove.

"Talk to me, Beca," she said. "What's wrong?"

"I've fucked it all up," she said. "I don't know why I convinced you to let me compose this thing, it's going to suck, they're going to laugh us off the stage. All the Bellas are going to hate me, it's going to be the single worst thing that's ever-" Aubrey silenced her with a firm kiss.

"Beca Mitchell," she said, taking her by the shoulders. "Do you really think I would have allowed you to take over if I thought it was a bad idea? Your arrangement is incredible. It won't suck, people are going to be blown away. You're the most talented person I've ever met in my entire life, and I have absolute faith in you and what you've done." Beca was still fidgeting, but Aubrey could feel the tension slowly drain from her shoulders. She pulled the smaller girl toward her, wrapping her in her arms for a few moments.

"Thank you," Beca said.

"You okay?" Aubrey asked. Beca nodded.

"I am now," she said.

"I love you," the blonde said. "We can do this." She kissed Beca gently, but Beca didn't relinquish her right away. She kept the kiss going for a few moments.

"Oi!" Amy's voice rang out. "We just got told we're next, and two of our captains are off sucking face? Save it for the after party." They broke apart and followed the rest of the Bellas to the wings. Aubrey took her hand and squeezed it softly, receiving a smile in return as they took the stage.

The performance almost felt like it wasn't real. But before long, they were filing off the stage to thunderous applause, a standing ovation, and wild cheers. They all had a big group hug backstage, confident that they had just achieved something significant, whether they won or not.

When they heard the announcement that they did in fact win, and were the first all-female group to take out the national title, Beca's jaw dropped. It didn't register with her until Aubrey had her in her arms, kissing her passionately in full view of the packed out auditorium as Bellas cheered around them. They accepted the winner's trophy, and returned to their green room. It was finally sinking in for Beca, and she was absolutely elated.

Of course the party ended up moving with them, alcohol being procured somehow and moved into two of their adjoining rooms. It could have been worse. Instead of inflicting noise and damage on everyone on their floor, they more just wanted to be together and celebrate the win. The music wasn't too loud, even Amy wasn't making too much noise.

Aubrey was sitting on the couch, Beca sideways on her lap. The two had taken part in most of the revelry, but now they were pretty much involved in each other and nothing else. They were making out leisurely, not getting too x-rated since they were still in a room full of their friends. But they were definitely unaware of what was going on around them.

Beca was already addicted to the way Aubrey kissed her. Addicted to the way her lips teased her. Addicted to the moans she didn't bother trying to hold back. It made Beca feel like it was years before, being a young girl and making out with her first girlfriend for hours and hours on end. She wanted to kiss Aubrey for as long as she could. The bonus being that instead of sneaking home all sexually frustrated and tense, she got to take the girl to bed.

"How long we gonna let them go at it before we throw cold water on them?" Stacie said to Chloe. The two of them watched as Aubrey's hand moved into Beca's shirt to caress her lower back.

"Oh, I've seen way worse," Chloe said. "They're not too bad."

"True," Stacie said. "I've probably done worse, to be honest. But maybe we should encourage them to find a room soon. It's making me hot just looking at them."

"Yeah I know," Chloe said. It was only another ten or fifteen minutes before they did disappear to their room, to the catcalls and howls of the other Bellas, not that they noticed.

The next morning Amy had plenty of teasing for both of them over breakfast, but they took it good-naturedly. It didn't stop them holding hands the entire time they walked around the airport, though. Once they were back in Barden, Beca went to see if her dad was home. He wasn't, but Sheila was.

"I heard you guys are national champs," she said, ushering Beca in. "Congratulations, Beca."

"Thanks," she said. "It's pretty surreal. I got a link to the video of the performance, by the way. Someone posted it on YouTube." They went into the kitchen and made coffee.

"I'd love to watch it," Sheila said. She went and fetched her tablet, and Beca navigated to the performance, which the uploader had titled 'Boss Ass Bitches School Everyone at ICCAs'. Sheila was heavily impressed.

"You really wrote that?" she asked.

"I arranged it," Beca said. "But yeah."

"You can do all that on your computer? Not the singing, the mixing stuff," she said.

"Yeah," Beca said.

"I had no idea you could do all that on a couple of machines," Sheila said. "I see why you want to do it professionally. You're really good at it."

"Thanks," Beca said. "Um, do you mind if we talk?"

"We are talking," Sheila pointed out.

"I know," Beca said. "It's about something Aubrey said to me after we had dinner here."

"Sure."

"She said you care about me, but you weren't always sure of your role in my life which probably contributed to some of the awkwardness," she summarized. "And I want you to know that I'm responsible, too. I mean, I was so mad at dad and I know I never gave you the chance you deserved. Also, I'm really glad that we're talking now."

"It means a lot to me that you would say that," Sheila said. "I'm new to this parenting thing. I have no idea what I'm doing, even if you are a grown up and you don't technically need parents. But I don't want to replace your mom, Beca. I liked your mom. She was a hell of a lady. I think had we met under other circumstances, we would have been friends."

"Mom was the best," Beca said. "She never told me she met you."

"I think that was because of your dad," Sheila added. "I only met her twice. Your dad is always going to have a spot in his heart for her, too, I know that."

"I know," Beca said. "When mom was in hospital she made me promise to give you guys a chance. She kept telling me that dad wasn't a bad guy, he just wasn't the right one. And I get that. But it was easier to hate him, so that's what I did for years. Feels like a waste now. Mom was right. He is a good guy."

"Your dad tells me Aubrey lost her mother too?"

"She was fourteen, and it was an accident," Beca said. "At least I had some forewarning. Aubrey just got pulled out of volleyball practice and sent home. It sounds morbid, but that's the first thing she and I bonded over."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "I was having a bit of a meltdown when it was the one year anniversary of mom dying. I went and saw Chloe and Aubrey. I think Chlo was a bit taken aback, she has no frame of reference for it, but she still wanted to help. And Aubrey comes out of nowhere and starts telling me that it's okay to want to cry sometimes, and to get upset, and miss her."

"Aubrey was right," Sheila said.

"So we hung out a little more, then a little more, and then I kind of realized that I felt differently about her than I did about Chloe. Don't get me wrong, Chloe is the best. Aubrey and I are so lucky to have her as a friend, but it felt different."

"Different how?"

"I think it was little things," Beca said. "Like I'd be in my Econ class and remember something she did or said and it'd make me smile. Or I'd realize that I'd just spent a whole afternoon doing nothing but sitting in the same room as her as she studied and I mixed, and it felt like the best use of an afternoon ever."

"That's adorable," Sheila teased.

"Oh god, not you too," she groaned. "You and Chloe with the adorable stuff."

"Sorry, continue."

"There's not much more to tell. That stuff, it all just started to fall into place. I mean, it didn't hurt that she's gorgeous, either. But it was that I valued her time and her input and I knew I wanted to take a chance on it."

"And here we are," Sheila said.

"Yep."

"Have you guys talked about what happens when she goes to Columbia?"

"No, but we know we have to," Beca said. "We kind of wanted to get Nationals out of the way first. And now it's done."

"Don't put it off," Sheila said. "Do it sooner rather than later. If you talk about it right before she goes, it'll be more of a shock to the system when she is gone. If you do it sooner, you can ease yourself into the idea of her not being there."

"That's… actually helpful," Beca said. "Thanks Sheila."

"Hey, here to help."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Do you ever wish you had kids of your own?"

"No," Sheila admitted. "I never was taken with the idea of getting pregnant. Which turned out okay, because apparently I can't have kids. Something about a hostile uterus."

"Oh," Beca faltered, "Sorry. I should have thought-"

"No, it's not an issue. Seriously, I never wanted to have them. But then I inherited a stepdaughter, and that wasn't so bad." She smiled at Beca. "I'm happy with what I've got." The freshman smiled in return, and the two began talking, spending the entire afternoon getting to know one another properly for the first time.

Two days later, Aubrey brought Beca into the Bellas auditorium late in the afternoon. Chloe was waiting for them. They stood her in front of a wall covered in framed photos, directly in front of the newest addition. It was their photo, accompanied by a small plaque with an inscription.

_Barden Bellas 2012  
_ _ICCA National Champions  
_ _Captains: Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale, Aubrey Posen_

"Guys? I'm not a Bellas captain," Beca said, confused.

"Not officially," Aubrey said. "We took a poll. You deserve to have your name on this, Beca. More than Chloe or I. What you've done for the Bellas… not just as a singing group, either. We're family now. We're also a part of history. Nobody has ever done what we just did, and it really is because of you. I can admit it. You were what we needed." Beca was fully aware of how big a deal this would be for Aubrey. She turned and hugged them both.

"Yeah, maybe. But you two took a chance on a weirdo freshman who hadn't even prepared the correct song," she said.

"You can thank Chloe for that," Aubrey said. "She was relentless."

"And look how it turned out for the two of you," she interjected. "If I hadn't been such a pain in the ass, would you have each other? No." The redhead had a point. Aubrey was checking her watch.

"Chloe, we have to go get fitted for grad gowns," she said. Beca kissed her quickly on the cheek and stood before the photo again. She and Aubrey were sandwiched between Amy and Chloe, holding tightly to each other's hands. And every single Bella was grinning radiantly.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked.

"I'm just going to hang out for a while," she said. It was odd for Beca, but the seniors left. After she heard the door close, she waited a few moments and then moved to the front of the room. She sat down at the piano bench and stared at the keys in front of her. It had been a long time since she'd put her hands on a piano, but they fell into place instantly. She let her fingers lightly press down on a few, then a few more. She let a few chords ring out into the auditorium. And she wasn't crying, for a change. She was smiling.

It became habit for the next two weeks. She'd sneak away when she had a spare moment, between final prep, spending time with Aubrey and Chloe and attending classes. She'd sit at the piano and play, stretching out the long unused muscles of her hands until they ached, playing all the songs she'd barely been able to listen to since her mother passed.

It was four days before Aubrey was set to graduate when Beca sent her a text asking her to meet her in the auditorium. It was approaching dinner time, so the building was practically deserted when Aubrey got there.

"Hey," Beca said, gesturing to the spot beside her on the bench.

"Hi," Aubrey said, kissing her on the cheek. "What's up?" She sat down next to her.

"Remember when I told you that I hadn't played the piano since my mom died?" Beca asked. Her fingers began to move over the keys. "You told me I could use this one any time I liked."

"Yeah," Aubrey said. "I remember."

"And I appreciated that, but I still didn't feel much like playing. But the past few weeks, I've had that feeling come back."

"So I can see," Aubrey gestured.

"Yeah but I'm chalking it up to you," Beca said. "I feel really good, Bree. And it's been a long time for me, since I've felt like things were lining up the way they should." Aubrey was about to say something but Beca began singing instead.

_"Looking out on the morning rain_   
_I used to feel so uninspired_   
_And when I knew I had to face another day_   
_Lord, it made me feel so tired_

_Before the day I met you, life was so unkind_   
_But you're the key to my peace of mind..."_

Aubrey felt the tears spill from her eyes. It was beautiful, Beca's voice was beautiful. No, Beca was beautiful. She let Beca finish the song, noting the brunette also had tears in her eyes, and leaned in to kiss her tenderly. She refused to let her go for a few moments, trying to pour everything she was feeling into her kisses. Eventually she pulled back enough for them to catch their breath. Her hand cradled Beca's face softly, and she hummed against her mouth.

"You're incredible, Beca Mitchell," Aubrey breathed. "Can I take you out for dinner?"

"You can take me anywhere, anytime," Beca said teasingly.

"Careful," Aubrey warned. "There's a redhead in my room who wouldn't take too kindly to what happens when you use that tone." She swatted Beca's ass as she got up, then took her hand as they left the auditorium.

"You should tell Marina you've gone back to piano," Aubrey said. "I think she'd be glad to hear it."

"I will," Beca said. "Hey Bree? I know you and Chlo have plans for tomorrow, but maybe the day after do you think we can talk?"

"Is something wrong?" Aubrey asked.

"No," Beca assured her. "It's just that we need to talk about you going to Columbia and how we're going to handle being together when we're not in the same place."

"Yeah we do need to talk about that," Aubrey said. Her eyes took on a slightly downcast look.

"Are you okay?"

"I just don't like thinking about it," the blonde confessed. "I'm really going to miss you."

"Yeah, me too," Beca said, squeezing her hand. "But let's save that for Sunday and just go out tonight?"

"Definitely," Aubrey said, pulling her in for a kiss.


	17. Chapter 17

Beca tried not to, but she spent a large portion of the next day worrying about all the things that could conceivably go wrong in her relationship with Aubrey. It was a dark, slippery slope, and by early evening she'd worried herself to the point where she was starting to panic. She didn't want to interrupt Aubrey's roommate farewell day with Chloe, even though she probably wouldn't have minded, so she instead walked campus with her headphones on, until she collided with a body.

"Shit, sorry," she said, pulling the headphones down and looking up. It was Cynthia Rose.

"What's got you so worked up, B?" she asked. "You're walking around like you're on a mission."

"Did you step into my path on purpose?" Beca asked distractedly.

"Yeah," she said. "You've walked past me and Amy and Stacie four times now, so something's gotta be up. Wanna talk?"

"Don't let me take you away from the girls," Beca said, waving her off.

"Don't be ridiculous," CR replied. "Plus, Stacie was the one who suggested I come talk to you before you wore a hole in the pavement."

"I did something stupid," she confessed as they began walking, together this time. "I started thinking about all the ways that Aubrey and I can fail at this long distance thing. And now I'm anxious as hell. I don't even understand why Aubrey's even dating me, CR. She's about to move to New York and I'm this weird little freshman with way more hang ups than redeeming qualities."

"Whoa," Cynthia Rose said. "Aubrey loves you, man. That's why she's dating you."

"Yeah, I know that. But…" she just shook her head and swallowed hard, looking at the ground and pretending she wasn't about to cry. The other Bella wasn't stupid though, so she took Beca by the shoulders and directed her to her dorm. It was a tiny single room, built not much bigger than the walk in closet her mom used to have. Beca sat on Cynthia Rose's bed and rested her face in her hands.

"Talk to me," Cynthia Rose said. "I'm not gonna judge you."

"It's completely fucking irrational for me to think like this," Beca said. "I've never thought Bree didn't love me. But my head just won't fuck off implanting stupid thoughts in there. I'm so terrified that she's going to go off to New York and once she's there, something or someone is going to catch her eye and she's going to wonder what she ever saw in me. That city is going to love her. She's smart and gorgeous and she goes after what she wants. She's so far out of my league it's almost a joke, and that city is going to be filled with people who are much better suited to her than I am."

"Beca," the other girl said. "Nobody is better suited to Aubrey than you are. Look, you two had your moments earlier in the year. But since you guys have gotten together, even from a bystander's perspective, it seems right. You guys are amazing together. You complement each other, perfectly, and not even a thousand New York heiresses are going to change that."

"Part of me knows that, CR," she replied. She stared out of the window for a moment. "It's just… every time I get close like this to a person, they leave me. And shit gets ruined, I get ruined. Dad, even though we're trying, it's not the same. Mom, which wasn't her fault but it still fucking kills me. If I lose Aubrey man…" She felt a hand on her shoulder and leaned toward Cynthia Rose.

"You gotta talk to her," she said.

"We're talking about it all tomorrow," Beca said. "She's having bonding time with Chloe before they go their separate ways. I don't wanna interrupt that."

"Then you're staying here with me," Cynthia Rose said. "Go grab some stuff, I'm going to order pizza, we're going to talk music and watch Brooklyn Nine Nine because I love Chelsea Peretti, and you'll remember when you see your girlfriend tomorrow that she loves you."

"Okay," Beca said. "Thanks, CR. I'll go grab some stuff and meet you back here?"

"I got your back," she said as the smaller girl left. Once she was gone, Cynthia Rose called in the pizza order and then she dialed Aubrey.

"Hello?"

"Aubrey? It's CR."

"Oh, hey," she said. "What's up?"

"Sorry to interrupt your girl time with Chloe," she said. "But Beca's having a rough day. She didn't want to bother you."

"She can bother me whenever she likes," Aubrey said. "Do I need to go see her?"

"I think I've calmed her down," the younger woman said. "She's just stressing a bit about you moving and her being here, and then she got started down a dark path, you know? And she mentioned you guys are going to sit down and talk about it, but I don't want you to walk in and feel like she's lost faith in your relationship."

"What do you mean?"

"She's pretty much thought of every single reason why you'd move to New York and forget about her."

"What? That's not going to happen," Aubrey said.

"I know," Cynthia Rose replied. "And she even admitted that she knows that, but once she starts on something… She thinks you're too far out of her league and she can't compete with New York when she's down here."

"Shit."

"We're going to hang out," Cynthia Rose added. "She's going to stay the night, and we talked. I think she's feeling a little better, but she's pretty raw right now."

"If she gets worse will you call me?"

"Promise."

"Thanks," Aubrey said. "Does she know you called?"

"No," Cynthia Rose admitted. "I gotta go, she'll be back soon." She hung up and not even two minutes later Beca knocked on the door. Cynthia Rose opened it, Beca put her bag down and then they went downstairs to wait for the pizza guy.

"Can I tell you something Beca?" Cynthia Rose asked. "About you and Aubrey?"

"Uh, yeah," she said.

"Seeing you two together made me realize just how much I missed that," she said. "Missed having a relationship. So I've been talking with Denise a lot lately, and we're trying again. The couple thing."

"Serious?"

"Yeah," Cynthia Rose said. "We're not telling people just yet, it's very new. But we're bros. You've trusted me a lot this year, and I trust you, too."

"I hope it works out for you guys," she said sincerely.

"And trust me, it will work out for you and Aubrey, too," she said. Beca gave her a small smile, but it was a real one, and they lapsed back into silence.

The next morning, Beca and Aubrey met at their normal coffee shop. They ordered drinks and sat in a round booth away from the windows. At first they just sat there sipping their coffee, letting the caffeine infiltrate their bloodstreams. They were both getting antsy, and eventually the senior broke the silence.

"I need to start," Aubrey said. "Beca. Are you sure you don't want to-"

"No."

"You didn't even let me finish."

"I don't have to," the brunette said. "Aubrey, I don't want anybody but you. I love you. What about you, though?"

"What about me?" Beca sat back and toyed with the napkin in front of her.

"Look, Aubrey, don't get me wrong. I don't doubt that you love me. But we both know I'm not exactly the most secure in my self esteem. And I'm so worried that you're gonna forget about me. In my heart I know you would never do that, but my head really won't shut up about it. You're going to be in New York," she said. "New York, Aubrey. And you're smart and beautiful and I have no doubt that there are going to be a million people who look at you and see how amazing you are and I'm going to be down here in Barden." Aubrey couldn't even be mad at the idea. Beca was tearing up, and it killed her.

"I could never forget about you," Aubrey said, reaching for her hand. "God Beca. I've never been so completely in love with another person the way I am with you. And yes, New York is huge and I'm going to meet a thousand people. But every single one of them, if they meet me, are going to hear all about you."

"Really?" Beca asked in a small voice.

"Really. They'll probably beg me to shut up, honestly. They'll hear about the rooftop you decorated for our first date. And the special night out you planned when I got my Columbia acceptance. They'll hear about how you make sure I'm taking care of myself. And about how hearing you sing is my favorite sound in the world, and how passionate you are about music, the fact that you're so talented I can barely stand it and how I honestly don't see myself with -" She stopped abruptly.

"With what?"

"Beca, we've only been together almost six months," she said softly. "It's not a very long time. I don't want to make you feel like we're rushing things, but I honestly don't see myself being with anybody but you. Forever. I'm talking marriage and growing old forever."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Look I'm not about to propose and I'm not suggesting you do it either. We've got plenty of time for that. But I honestly intend on making my future with you. And yes the next three years are going to be so hard... But after that we have forever. And I know we can do this." Beca leaned across and left a soft but passionate kiss on her lips.

"I want that, too," she said. "But I'm scared Bree. I'm scared of disappearing into my negative thoughts, I'm scared that we'll get too busy and we'll stop making time for each other. How are we going to do this?"

"Well if it helps the negative thoughts at all I'm planning on blowing up your phone constantly to remind you that I love you and that you're so beautiful it makes my head spin. The rest, I imagine we're both going to have to work really hard. But we're worth it. We'll have to look at our schedules and make sure we take time to talk to each other. And of course I'll want to come back to Barden. And you're welcome to come to New York whenever you like." She had talked with Chloe the night before and come up with a plan to make sure they saw each other as much as possible, but she didn't know how Beca would take it.

"I would love that Bree, but I'm not sure how often I'm going to be able to afford plane tickets. And I can't expect you to come here all the time. Law school is a big deal. You're going to have a lot of study on, and I really don't want to be the thing that distracts you. I promised your dad I wouldn't do that and I intend on keeping that promise." She took a deep breath. "I know it seems like I'm pointing out every bad thing that can happen, but I think it's good for us to talk about them now so we aren't surprised when they come up."

"I know. And I love you for thinking about how important my studies are," Aubrey began. "I've been thinking about these things too and I have a proposal... but I don't want you to say no until you've thought about it."

"What's the proposal?" Aubrey fiddled with her coffee cup.

"Well you're right. I imagine there are going to be a lot of weekends where I'm up to my eyeballs in work. But that doesn't mean I don't want to see you. I'm always going to want to see you. So I want to pay for you to come to New York. I was hoping for one weekend a month."

"No."

"Beca, hear me out."

"Aubrey, _no_ ," she said firmly. "That's a lot of money over a three year period."

"I know," Aubrey said. "But you're forgetting that I have this ridiculous trust fund and I don't really care for spending it on clothes and shoes and stupid stuff when I could use it to see you. I think you need to realize that I'm going to need you, Beca. If I'm too busy to get down here, chances are I'm also going to be stressed out of my mind. I need you. You balance me out and calm me down. Things don't spin out of control when you're with me. So please let me do this. It's as much for me as it is for you."

"I don't want you to drain your trust for me," Beca said. "I'm not going to be the girl who gets you to blow all your cash."

"Beca I could fly you to New York every single weekend for the next three years and it wouldn't make a dent in it," Aubrey said casually. "I know we don't talk about money and stuff much, but trust me. It won't be a problem."

"Are you sure?" Beca was coming around but she wanted Aubrey to be positive this was what she wanted.

"Am I sure I want to spend money making sure I get to see the woman I love on a regular basis? Am I sure I want to see your face in person instead of over Skype? Yeah." Beca just stared at her for a moment, thinking.

"I have one condition," Beca said finally. "You have to let me treat you to a date on each of those weekends. No arguing or splitting bills."

"Deal." Aubrey met her eyes and smiled. "See? We can do this, Beca." She pulled the smaller girl toward her and felt her burrow into the crook of her neck, her arm wrapping comfortably around her.

"I was really worried," Beca murmured. "Yesterday. I spent the day in a bad place. I don't like being too close to people because it never lasts, and I can't have it not work with you, Bree."

"You know you can come to me any time," Aubrey said, "Even if I am with Chloe."

"It's alright, CR helped," Beca said. "But it was horrible." Aubrey took her face in her hands and kissed her.

"That's what I'm for," she said. "I love you Beca. Just the way you are, even if you're getting inside your own head. Now. Chloe is having a mani pedi day with Stacie, and she won't be home at all tonight. So I was thinking we go back to my room and make the most of some of the time we have left."

"I should be studying for my marketing final," Beca said. "Though I'll be doing that for most of the day tomorrow, so…" Aubrey took her hand and led her from the booth.

The next morning, Aubrey stirred and looped her arm around Beca's waist, pulling her closer. Beca smiled, eyes still closed, feeling the blonde's lips on her neck. She was content to let her continue for as long as she liked, but was snapped out of her daze when Aubrey's teeth nipped at her skin.

Damn, the girl could play her like a pitch pipe.

She rolled over and met Aubrey's mouth with her own, squirming as a hand ran over her ribs.

"Good morning," Aubrey said.

"I'll say," Beca say. "Feel free to wake me like that any time you like." Both of them paused a moment, thinking the exact same thought. In a few days they wouldn't be able to wake up together like this at all. Beca watched Aubrey's eyes get a little downcast.

"Hey," Beca said, reaching her hand out to caress the side of her face. Aubrey turned her head into Beca's hand.

"I'm going to miss you, that's all," Aubrey said softly.

"I'm going to miss you too, Bree. But every time I'm at Bellas, or I grab coffee, or about a million other things, it'll be like you're with me," Beca said.

"I know," Aubrey said. "And we'll Skype and see each other as much as possible, but it won't be the same." Beca kissed her passionately.

"No it won't. But we can either get really sad about it, or we can make good use of this roommate-free room." Aubrey smiled and kissed her again, rolling on top of the smaller body and letting one hand interlace with Beca's above her head.

"I think I know how we can spend the next little while," she said, watching Beca's eyes dilate as she moved her other hand south.

When they finally got out of bed, it was well past time for Beca's class. Aubrey chided her for skipping, but the protest died when Beca's lips found hers and smothered the complaint.

"I've already passed Econ," she said. "I'd rather be kissing you." It was hard to argue with that sort of logic, so she let the brunette take her out for a late breakfast, on the condition that she actually attended her next class. Her marketing final was the next day, so she really did have to go. The class was a killer, but she and Cynthia Rose were both determined to do well.

They ran into Jesse and Benji in the coffee shop, the boys still congratulating them on their ICCAs win. Beca blushed, because even though everyone had positively raved about the arrangement, she wasn't used to being the center of attention quite like that. After some coffee and food, Beca had to go back to her dorm to get her books for marketing, and Aubrey had to make some calls about moving her stuff to New York. So they parted ways, and Beca walked with the boys back to the dorm.

"So you and Aubrey are like this, big, serious thing?" Jesse said.

"What gave it away?" Beca said, laughing.

"I mean, she planted a big one on you on the middle of the stage right after your performance at nationals," the boy said, "But it's the little stuff, actually."

"I'd say we're pretty serious, Jess, yeah," Beca said. "I'm a bit… I dunno. It didn't take me long to get serious about Aubrey, and that's not normal for me. I feel like it should scare me, but it really doesn't."

"That's nice," Benji said. "You guys make a good couple. You've balanced each other out. I don't think I've seen Aubrey so mellow all year."

"It works both ways, though," Beca said. "She pushes me. Not in a bad way. That sounds wrong. She encourages me to take study more seriously. And now I'll probably finish the year with a B+ average, if I can nail this marketing final. I was barely making a C- before."

"Nerd," Jesse teased, causing Beca to whack him with the back of her hand. "Seriously though, I'm glad you're happy."

"I am," Beca said. She went and got all her stuff for class, Cynthia Rose waiting for her in their unofficial seats. After class let out, they headed straight for Beca's room, continuing their study for the final, until Beca felt like her brain would explode.

Just as they had predicted, the final was a nightmare. But Beca was confident she'd at least passed, as was Cynthia Rose. They treated themselves to ice cream, and Beca texted Aubrey to tell her she was all done for the year. Sure they technically had classes to attend, but since all the finals were done, there wasn't much point in going. Beca planned on spending the next few days with Aubrey before she graduated and left for New York.


	18. Chapter 18

On the morning of graduation, Beca knocked on the door of Chloe and Aubrey's room with her elbow, her hands taken by two bouquets of flowers.

"It's unlocked!" Chloe called. She knocked again, unable to twist the knob. Chloe appeared and looked at her with a bemused expression. She lowered the flowers in her hands.

"Sorry," she said. "Couldn't open the door. Happy graduation Chlo." She handed Chloe a bouquet of brightly colored gerberas. Chloe grinned and hugged her awkwardly to avoid squashing them.

"Thanks Becs," she said. "Bree is just in the bathroom she won't be long. The redhead was almost ready for the ceremony, she just had to put her actual gown on over her dress and her cap. The door opened and closed again.

"Beca?"

"Happy graduation, Bree," she said, handing her the lilies. Aubrey leaned down to kiss her.

"They're gorgeous, thank you," she said.

"She brought me flowers too, isn't she cute?" Chloe teased. Beca rolled her eyes.

"Can it, Beale." Chloe stuck her tongue out and picked her ringing phone up from her bed. She held a quick conversation with whoever was on the other end and hung up.

"It's my mom," she said. "She and dad are here, I'm going to go meet them. But we'll be back so no funny business while I'm gone." She wagged a finger at them.

"You're not the boss of me," Aubrey said sassily. "If I wasn't completely ready for grad I'd bang her on your bed just to spite you."

"Jesus!" Beca said, turning red. The two seniors laughed and eventually Beca joined in as Chloe left. Aubrey pulled Beca in and kissed her again, harder and Beca felt like she might have only been half joking about Chloe's bed.

"I got you something," she said against the blonde's mouth.

"What?"

"I brought you a present," Beca said. She pulled a jewelry box from her bag and opened it. It was a silver chain, and hanging from it a pendant that was an entwined treble clef and bass clef. "It's not much but it reminded me of us. Because they're okay on their own but they're better together. Music isn't any good unless you have both. Or something, I dunno." She blushed.

"I love it," she said. "Put it on me?" Beca draped it around her neck and fiddled with the tiny clasp. She moved her hair back to where it was, and the blonde turned, her fingers going to the pendant for a second, before she took Beca and kissed her softly.

"You ready?" Beca asked her.

"Yeah, can you help me with the gown?" she asked. Beca helped her into it, and then watched as Aubrey pinned the cap into place. Chloe returned with her parents and the small dorm was suddenly crowded.

"I'll find you after," Beca promised. She kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too," Aubrey said. Beca left and wandered toward where the ceremony would be held. Aubrey's father and one of her brothers were also going to be there, and she wanted to save some seats. William greeted her fondly, and introduced Beca to David, the elder of Aubrey's brothers. He regarded her with an intrigued expression, but they didn't have time for much chitchat because they were about to start.

The ceremony was long and boring, but she did cheer enthusiastically when her girlfriend crossed the stage to accept her degree. William raised an eyebrow at her, but his lips were curled in a smile, so she didn't mind. After the ceremony had finished she looked for Aubrey amidst the sea of gowns, finding her and Chloe standing a little apart from the throng. She immediately pulled her in for a kiss.

"Congratulations," she said. "I'm super proud of you Bree." She let go so Aubrey could be congratulated by her dad and David.

The collective Beales and Posens had booked lunch at a fancy restaurant in Atlanta, inviting Beca to join them. So after she had finished being congratulated, Aubrey went with Beca back to her dorm so she could quickly change. Aubrey tugged the gown off and left it folded neatly on Beca's bed, cap on top. The brunette donned some tailored slacks and a navy button down, and swapped her chunky combat style boots for something a little nicer.

Before they could leave, Aubrey pulled her into her arms and they just held each other for a few moments. Beca felt Aubrey's lips skim somewhere above her temple and she smiled.

"Sorry," Aubrey said. "I just wanted a minute before we go out and have to deal with noise and people."

"You're never going to have to apologize for wanting a quiet moment with me," Beca said. "Introvert, remember?" Aubrey leaned in and kissed her tenderly.

"Ready?" Beca took her hand and they left.

Lunch was long and loud. Chloe's entire family had made the trip, her parents, two brothers and two sisters, three of whom had partners. Beca was almost overwhelmed, and probably would have been if they hadn't all been such genuinely nice people. The Posens were more reserved, and Beca found herself seated between Aubrey and her brother David. She had expected a number of questions as the man assessed the woman her sister had chosen to date, but he was polite and it wasn't too bad.

David was an accountant in a firm with dozens of national offices, engaged to a woman who was aide to the Mayor in Phoenix. But he was more interested in the almost-sophomore part time radio DJ who had won his sisters heart. She did her best to answer his questions, Aubrey occasionally reaching over to squeeze her hand. After a while the parents toasted their graduates and they began to make moves towards leaving. Chloe was leaving with her parents virtually straight away, so there were a few tears from the redhead and the blonde; Beca managing to keep hers reigned in as she embraced her.

"Chlo, you have no idea how much you've given me," she mumbled to the redhead. "I'll never be able to repay you." She glanced at her blonde girlfriend, and Chloe pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"You guys are perfect together," she said. "In a couple years when one of you pops the question, make sure I'm maid of honor." Beca nodded with a smirk. As Chloe and Aubrey's fathers settled the bill, Beca spotted Aubrey having a deep conversation with David. The blonde flashed her a smile when it was done and made her way over.

"Did I pass the brother test?" Beca asked.

"Yes," she said. "He said dad had described you as unorthodox but a surprisingly honest and refreshing young woman, and a great match for me, and David agrees."

"Unorthodox seems to be a word applied to me a lot," Beca said with a slight frown.

"We're Southerners, old school style," Aubrey said. "Everybody's unorthodox, it's practically their favorite word. Chloe's also unorthodox and I'd hate to see what they'd say about Amy and god help me if they ever meet Lily. Now are you done packing or do we have time to just wander around for a while?"

"I'm almost done," Beca said. "Sounds like a plan." They wandered around the nearby shops hand in hand. They were about to enter a music store when Aubrey stopped.

"You go in," she said. "Dad was saying he thinks the stone in his family ring is coming loose. I'll just duck into this jeweler quickly and meet you in here."

"Okay," Beca said.

Aubrey went into the jeweler and approached a middle aged man.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"How fast can you make custom rings?" she asked.

"That depends on what you want, material, stones, that sort of thing," he said. "Let me get you Davjer." He went and fetched an older man from the back.

"Custom ring?" he asked in a heavily accented voice.

"I want to get a custom ring made as quickly as possible," she said. "Silver, no stones, but with this same shape." She touched the pendant on her necklace.

"Just silver?" he said. "Which one?" He showed her two styles of ring, one was a shined and pristine silver, the other was hammered, and Aubrey liked it better for what she had in mind.

"That one," she said. He pulled out a sketch of and impressively quickly sketched a ring with the musical symbols on it.

"How big?" Aubrey knew Beca had tiny hands. She'd tried to put one of her rings on once. She found the correct loop on the ring sizer. The man spoke to the younger man in what she guessed was their native tongue, possibly Armenian.

"He says that he normally takes a week for custom rings but yours is very simple so he can have it done in three days, if you agree to the price." Aubrey wasn't stupid enough to say that she'd pay a lot of money to have it done as fast as possible. The elder man was scribbling figures on the sketch, and pointed to a total that Aubrey figured was fair.

"And it will be ready by Friday?" she asked. The man nodded and wrote the date on the sketch.

"Thank you so much," she said. "Do I need to leave a deposit?"

"For custom we need half," the younger man said. The other man got up and took the sketch out the back, making a photocopy. Then he slid both to Aubrey, who was running her credit card.

"We just need your name and phone number on the sketch," the man said. Aubrey filled them in and took the photocopy, to which the man had stapled a business card and receipt.

"Thank you so much," she said, and went next door to find Beca.

"How'd you go?" Beca asked.

"They said it might cost up to a couple hundred depending on how the ring was set, especially if it's an old ring. And it is. I'll let him know, he can arrange somewhere himself," she said casually. They continued looking around a little more before they headed back to campus.

Aubrey's things were already packed and on their way to New York, save for a suitcase. Her father had arranged a storage unit that was close to a few of what he felt were appropriate apartments for Aubrey to consider. She was bunking with Beca for the next few days, the brunette almost packed and ready to move her stuff into her dads, and she would be driving Aubrey to the airport when it was time for her to leave. They'd already made plans for the summer; after Aubrey found a place and settled into it in New York, Beca was going up to visit. Then from there they'd both fly to Portland to see Beca's Aunt Marina, then back to Barden for a few days before Aubrey had to get started preparing for law school.

Beca and Aubrey ended up moving into her dad's the next day, Sheila having called saying the room they had for her was ready to go whenever she was. They didn't go out much for the next couple of days, save for a dinner with Cynthia Rose and Denise, instead preferring to spend every second with each other.

The night before Aubrey was due to leave, Beca's dad and Sheila were coincidentally going to her sister's place (Beca later learned it was intentional), so they had the house to themselves. They tried to make the most of the evening, but found it hard to escape the weight of their upcoming separation. After cooking and eating dinner together, they simply fell onto the couch, content to hold one another until Beca tugged her back into the bedroom. Once they hit the bed, the only words they spoke to each other were "I love you", making love over and over until they were exhausted and pulled into sleep.

The next morning, Aubrey woke with tears in her eyes. She was always the more emotional of the two of them. Beca held her close for a while, thumbs brushing tears from her cheeks as they fell.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Time for us to get up if you're going to make your flight," Beca said. "Jump in the shower, I'll cook you breakfast."

"You don't have to," Aubrey said.

"I know," Beca replied. "But I want to." Aubrey just nodded and got up, collecting her things so she could shower. Beca went downstairs and began assembling ingredients for breakfast. She heard the door open and her dad and Sheila come in.

"Good morning," her dad said. "Where's Aubrey?"

"Taking a shower," Beca said.

"How you holding up?" he asked her. She just shook her head in response and continued cooking. He didn't say anything else to her, but she felt Sheila's hand on her shoulder just briefly. Aubrey came downstairs and they had breakfast together, quietly, sitting next to each other, before they had to start getting ready to leave. Aubrey packed the few of her things she'd left out, and Beca took a quick shower before taking Aubrey's suitcase down to the car.

The drive was also silent, Aubrey firmly holding Beca's hand in hers, relinquishing it only when she needed it to drive. Sooner than either of them would have liked, they were inside the airport, out of time, and at a point where Beca couldn't accompany her any further.

"Okay," Aubrey said. "Looks like this is it."

"I really hate this," Beca said. Aubrey was already crying.

"Me too," she said.

"But I'll come visit in a couple weeks," Beca promised, her voice cracking. Aubrey crashed into her, her arms sliding around her and holding her tight. Beca felt her tears begin to fall as well.

"It's not the same," Aubrey said. Beca held her close, stroking her hair. But Aubrey was right, it wouldn't be the same. They'd been able to see each other daily, whenever they liked. The next three years were going to suck.

"I've already said everything that I can think of to say," Beca said. "But I don't care. I love you, Aubrey. And sure we're both crying messes right now, but we can do this. I'm really proud of you, and even though it fucking hurts to think about how we're not going to be together in the same way for the next three years that we have been this year, I want you to be happy. You deserve this, because you're amazing."

"I love you too, Beca," Aubrey said. "Remember that I have faith in you and that if you need anything day or night, I'll drop it all for you. I'll miss you." They kissed long and desperately, and they pulled apart reluctantly.

"Go," Beca said. "Before I don't let you." Aubrey smiled, wet eyes and cheeks, kissed her once more, and disappeared for the gate. Beca sank into the nearest chair and curled up into a ball, until she saw the information board change Aubrey's flight status from 'Boarding' to 'Departed'. She somehow managed to drag herself back to the car, ignoring the stares at her ruined eye makeup and red eyes, and headed for her dad's.

When she got back to her dad's house she was still visibly upset. She sank into a chair in the living room, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them. Sheila didn't say anything, she wasn't stupid enough to believe anything could be said right now to fix how she was feeling. She did however, make her a cup of coffee and sat it in front of her, hand resting on her arm for a moment.

"Thanks," Beca said. She could feel tears burning behind her eyes, and she willed them to go away. When they wouldn't, she decided to head to her room so she could at least have her little tear session in private. She closed the door and moved over to her bed, but stopped when she saw a small box sitting atop an envelope. It was addressed to her in Aubrey's handwriting. She opened the box and saw a ring, so she opened the letter.

_Beca,_

This isn't a proposal. I think both of us would agree that it's way too soon for anything like that. But it is a promise. It's a promise that even though I'm in New York and you're in Barden, that I'm committed to you.

It's a promise that I'm going to love you regardless of distance, of time, of schedule. I know this is going to be hard for both of us and it's going to take a lot of work. But if there's anything I want to work hard for, it's you and us. I'm prepared for us to fight, because we're both stubborn and proud, but as much as I'll fight with you, I'll fight for us. We can do this.

So I wanted to give you something that you could look at and know that I love you. Wear it, keep it somewhere safe, I don't mind. Just know that I love you more than anything. And you're right. We're better together.

Aubrey

PS I hope you don't mind I asked Sheila to leave these here for you.

Beca didn't do flashy jewelry. But this ring was perfect for her taste, because of course, Aubrey knew her. It was a hammered silver ring and it bore the same symbol Beca had given Aubrey on a necklace – a treble clef entwined with a bass clef. She tried it on a few of her fingers, finding the one it fit best on.

The ring meant a lot to her. Aubrey knew she was going to find it hard here while she was gone. Beca had no idea that when she started dating Aubrey it would get this serious so fast. That at nineteen she would genuinely think that she'd found the person she wanted to spend her life with. She looked at her phone and knew Aubrey wasn't the kind of person who would check it on a plane, she probably wouldn't even switch it on until she got out of the airport. So she sent a text.

 _I love you._ It was hours later that she got one back.

_I love you, too._


End file.
